It’s that time of year again, when we feel driven to make a healthy new start after an indulgent Christmas break. These two recipes take a handful of simple ingredients
to make a delicious breakfast that is still full of flavour.
I often choose to use gluten-free oats and dairy-free milks too, really stripping them back to let the beauty of the fresh (or frozen) fruits shine through. Heather x
Coconut Granola
(makes enough for six to eight breakfasts)
This recipe makes the perfect addition to some yoghurt and fresh fruit. It is simple to make and uses basic ingredients, but packs a flavour punch! You can add to/change the coconut for any nuts of choice and you can easily add any dried fruit once the granola has been baked.
Ingredients
- 450g bag of oats (I use gluten-free but any kind works. Oats that are milled so the flakes are still quite large tend to make better granola than the small flakes).
- 2 heaped tablespoons (ish) of coconut oil (in its solid state)
- 100g (ish) maple syrup
- 1 bag of desiccated coconut
Method
- Preheat the oven to about 180 º (gas 6).
- Line a pan with baking parchment. I use a 9” x 13” cake pan which is about 1” deep.
- Melt the coconut oil so that it is liquid. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and desiccated coconut to the oats and stir together until well-combined. Use your hands to really make sure the oil and syrup have coated the oats. You can add more oil and/or syrup if you don’t think you have quite enough to coat the whole mixture.
- Pour into the tray and place in the oven.
- Check the oats every 10 minutes, stirring thoroughly each time, until the oats have all gone a pale golden colour. It will take around 30 minutes.
- Leave to cool. If you store in an air-tight container, it should keep for a good couple of weeks.
- Simply serve the granola scattered on top of yoghurt and your choice of fresh or cooked fruit for a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert.
Almond & Cherry Overnight Oats
(makes enough for four)
This recipe is the ultimate one-size fits all. It doesn’t need to be exactly measured; I simply use half as many oats to the amount of milk, but I also use frozen fruits which tend to add some extra liquid as they thaw. Be confident and adjust as you like, playing with the quantities – especially if you prefer a softer finished product (just add more milk).
You can also change the fruit to your own favourite, of course, and this recipe works just as well with fresh fruit (just add a little more milk).
I have opted to use almond milk as I think it complements the flavours, but the recipe works just as well with any kind of milk – oat, nut or cow’s! Previously I have also used hazelnut milk, exchanged the cherries for chocolate chips and finished with some Nutella for a rather more indulgent overnight oats!
Ingredients
- 250g rolled oats
- 500ml almond milk
- a couple of handfuls of frozen cherries
- glug of maple syrup to taste
- 1tsp almond extract
- flaked almonds
Method
- In a large bowl or tupperware tub, add the rolled oats, almond milk, maple syrup, cherries and almond extract. Stir until well combined and all the oats are fully covered with the liquid.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top, cover the mixture with cling film (or a lid) and place in the fridge overnight. Your oats will be ready for your breakfast in the morning. Just take from the fridge and serve (lovers of hot porridge may prefer to heat it gently first, the choice is, again, yours).
