Meatless Monday: Cranberry Coconut Granola

Confession: I am not cooking this year.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and my favorite meal in a year full of cooking, but we’re just not doing it this year.  We’re running off to the desert for a few days of relaxation under the sun.

Playing holiday hooky.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll be forgoing every bit of Thanksgiving.  I’ll get my turkey and sweet potatoes and I’m already getting my cranberries by munching on our cranberry coconut granola. Slightly sweet and coco-nutty, this granola is great for breakfast and snacking on a Meatless Monday.

If I were hosting Thanksgiving, I’d have it out for breakfast and leave it out as an antidote to the hunger pains that only a roasting turkey can cause.  If I were a Thanksgiving guest, I’d scoop some into a jar, top it with a ribbon and present it as a hostess gift for a delicious morning-after breakfast.  The perfect warm up to your leftover turkey and mashed potato sandwich.

xoxosl

Cranberry Coconut Granola

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients

4 cups rolled oats

2-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

2 cups nuts of choice (we like sliced almonds or chopped walnuts)

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8th of a teaspoon fresh nutmeg (2-3 swipes of a microplane zester)

1/2 cup coconut oil (make sure the bottle is marked good for medium-high heat)

Scan 1/2 cup honey

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconuts, nuts and cranberries.  Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and toss to combine.

Add the coconut oil and honey, stirring with a wooden spoon until the wet ingredients are mixed throughout.

Pour onto the prepared baking sheets, spreading the granola so that it will bake in an even layer.  Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes, removing the pan from the oven 1-2 times to stir the granola so that it brown evenly.  Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.  Granola will keep up to 1 week.