Since January, we’ve been eating healthier and that includes a healthy breakfast.
(Sorry, that last part sounded like a commercial.)
We have been powering through some granola as we make sure that we eat breakfast every morning to jump start our metabolism. I have a base granola recipe that I tweak quite often, throwing in whatever catches my fancy or whatever is in the kitchen. Here’s the latest version.
Chinese Five-Spice Granola
Ingredients
- 1 c. grape seed oil
- 1/2 c. honey
- 1/2 c. maple syrup
- 1/8 t. fine sea salt
- 1 t. Chinese Five-Spice
- 18 oz. quick oats
- 3/4 c. chia seeds
- 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
- 6 oz. dried mango, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a small sauce pan over low heat, stir together the oil, honey and maple syrup. Heat until combined. Do not boil.
- Remove from heat and add sea salt and Chinese Five-Spice. Stir.
- Place oats, chia seeds and walnuts in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Drizzle the liquid over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Line two jelly roll pans with a silicon pad or parchment paper. Spread out granola in a thin layer on each pan.
- Bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes, rotating pans and stirring half way through.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- After cooled, add the dried mango. Keep in a sealed container.
Dried apricots or apples would be good in this as well.
If you feel the urge to peruse through all my granola freaky tweaks, feel free.
Almond Granola with Maple Syrup and Honey
*Every batch I make is my current favorite.
And, for recipes using granola as a ingredient or are oat based:
Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Muffins
Granola Bars with Almonds, Pecans and Cranberries
Please don’t judge if you check out some of these older recipes. I pulled a few from the early days of EE. I’m a bit embarrassed by the style and photographs (when there were any).
I love 5-spice, but have never thought of using them in granola. Very original and delicious! Did you make those dried mango slices?
I don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner.
Love the idea of 5-spice granola! Neat flavor for breakfast. 🙂 Inspired stuff — thanks.
Thanks. It was a true what’s-in-the-pantry recipe.
Would coconut oil work instead of the grape seed oil?
Love,
Mom
Yes it will. It just won’t be as crispy though. How did yours turn out?
Your comment about metabolism is interesting — I thought you could increase it by exercising and didn’t know you could get it going by eating. In a future post maybe you could explain this? It would be good to understand better.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
OK, right. I just found this: “researchers now say breakfast doesn’t kickstart the metabolism and may not be the most important meal of the day.” Still eating granola though! 🙂
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]