When I’m feeling uninspired (but in need of something nourishing and wholesome) in the kitchen, I turn to making a batch of homemade granola. Somehow, the act of combining really simple, whole ingredients with a few spices and special flavors (coconut!) breaks me out of my cooking and baking rut. Plus the amazing smell of granola cooking away in the oven is enough to make anyone happy – and inspired.

Why the lack of inspiration? I feel like quarantine, working from home, and entering in the third trimester of pregnancy (hellooo 30 week baby!) has me downright exhausted – and lacking motivation. It’s such a blessing to be home and nesting, but also the repetition of the day to day can be slightly waring on my mood. Anyone else feeling this way?

Things that are helping break the funk:

-Shopping for baby’s nursery. AH this is so much fun. You may not know this about me, but I loooove home decor and home design. Maybe in my next life I’ll be an interior designer. My Pinterest baby board is filled with sweet and simple, gender-neutral nurseries that I’m constantly inspired by. So far, we have the crib and mattress for baby, crib sheets, a gorgeous rocker from my parents, and a few other little things. We still need to get a dresser/changing table, changing table pad, bookcases, and cute wall art.
-Going for walks every single day. UGH this is actually hard for me. Sometimes by the end of the day, I just want to cozy up on the couch. But I know walking is good for A: my energy levels, and B: getting this babe into the correct position for making her grand entrance into the world.
-Gardening and growing things. I’m so surprised by how well our little gardens are doing – honestly, who knew gardening was so much fun?
-Daily little self-care joys like face masks at night, gua sha (yep I finally bought into this, and I LOVE it), drinking lots of water, dry brushing, and sleeping in (while I still can).
-Summer produce is making me so HAPPY. Watermelon, peaches, cherries, berries, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, and cucumbers are making up the majority of my diet right now.
-Making batches of this granola. Yes, seriously. It is so good – and easy.

So this toasted coconut granola is about as easy as it gets. Simply combine rolled oats, nuts, dried coconut flakes, buckwheat groats, cinnamon, and flaky sea salt with melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well, pour into a tray, and bake! The most difficult part is letting the granola fully cool before breaking it into pieces. This is the secret to making chunky, chunky granola – so try to wait before digging in!

As you know, I’m a big proponent of stripping down food and nutrition to make it as simple as possible – and granola is a really great place to start with that. Store-bought granola is often filled with sugar, sugar, and more sugar alongside refined and processed oils. Making it yourself with whole food ingredients couldn’t be easier, or more satisfying.

Chunky, nourishing, and easy – this Toasted Coconut Granola is a simple breakfast favorite.

Toasted Coconut Granola

Yields roughly 3-4 cups granola

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 28 minutes
Total time: 38 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup rolled oats, gluten-free if desired
¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (large flakes, not fine shreds)
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
¼ cup buckwheat groats
¼ cup almonds, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. flaky sea salt (or swap for fine sea salt; flaky isn’t essential but is delicious!)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Optional additions: ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or ¼ cup unsulphured dried fruit such as dried chopped mango or raisins
To serve: slices of fresh stone fruit, almond milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine together dry ingredients in a large bowl: rolled oats, coconut flakes, pecans, buckwheat groats, almonds, flaky sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and stir well to incorporate. Pour granola mixture into lined baking sheet in a single, even layer.
4. Bake granola 25-28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through to ensure granola cooks evenly. Granola will be fully cooked when lightly browned and fragrant.
5. Remove granola from oven and let sit untouched for 30-45 minutes – truly the hardest part. If adding in chocolate chips or dried fruit, add them in now.
6. Carefully break granola into large pieces.
7. Serve toasted coconut granola with fresh sliced fruit of choice and almond milk. Enjoy!
8. Store granola in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes:

-This recipe is inspired and adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Super Chunky Coconut Granola
-Granola recipes are very forgiving! If you don’t have almonds or pecans, for example, swap them for another nut of choice