This week we’re eating… nutty granola smoothie bowl

food
nutty granola

I am such a breakfast person! I know some people don’t like to eat in the morning, but I can’t function properly unless my belly is full. I’m not really a fan of conventional cereal though, so I tend to make my own homemade muesli and granola, often served smoothie bowl style. I love granola but a lot of the shop-bought ones are laden with refined sugar, which I’ve been cutting out of my diet. It’s easy enough to make your own though – and this nutty granola smoothie bowl tastes amazing and smells delicious while baking. My children also love it, they think tipping smoothie over their breakfast is the best thing ever.

nutty granola smoothie bowl

The addition of cinnamon to the syrups that covers the granola pre-baking perfectly complements the apple crumble smoothie, but you could serve it with any kind of berry smoothie really.

The great thing about granola is that all the ingredients are approximate. You can leave out any you don’t like, add any other favourites, or vary measurements accordingly.

It takes about 40 minutes to make, and around 20 minutes for the granola to cool down, so this one is best made in advance. Here’s how.

Nutty cinnamon granola

makes around 14 servings

nutty granola smoothie bowl

3 tbsp coconut oil

5 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

250g rolled oats

150g hazelnuts

100g whole almonds

100g walnuts

50g flaked almonds

2 tbsp flax seeds

150g pumpkin seeds

150g sunflower seeds

100g dried fruit such as raisins, chopped apricots, dates, figs, cranberries, goji berries etc. If you’re clean eating then look for unsweetened, unsulphured ones.

You could also add a handful of dried coconut, dried banana (add both of those half way through baking), or any other variety of nuts including pecans, brazil nuts, cashews etc.

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
  2. Put the hazelnuts, whole almonds and walnuts in the blender and pulse for 20-30 seconds to chop into smaller pieces.
  3. Put the nuts into a large bowl, add the oats flaked almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and mix well. Put the bowl to one side.
  4. Put the coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon into a small saucepan on a gentle heat until it has melted.
  5. Pour over the oats, nuts and seeds mixture, until it’s all coated and slightly sticky.
  6. Spoon the mixture onto a large baking tray, and smooth out into a thin layer.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes, making sure to turn the mixture over every 6-7 minutes so that it doesn’t burn.
  8. Allow to cool then add in the dried fruit and mix well.
  9. Store the granola in an air-tight container and eat within a week. Serve with your choice milk or topped as a smoothie bowl.

 

For the apple crumble smoothie – serves 1

60g frozen blackberries

1 apple cored and cut into chunks

2 tbsp rolled oats

250g almond milk

  1. Defrost the frozen blackberries in the microwave for a 45 seconds. This is optional if you don’t want the smoothie to be so cold.
  2. Place all of the ingredients into the blender (we use a Nutribullet) and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour into a glass, and/or over the smoothie bowl.

nutty granola smoothie bowl

Let me know if you give it a go, in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy

For more healthy eating inspiration, visit the Food section of Cardiff Mummy Says or follow my recipe boards on Pinterest.

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