Lately I have this routine every weekend where I work out for an hour, ok 30 minutes, and then Brit and I go to South Block for an acai bowl. If you follow me on Snapchat I’m sorry for the multiple photos of the pb&j bowl, but it’s so damn good.
They top the silky violet smoothie with a crunchy granola that has a hint of coconut, and I was determined to recreate it at home. The only thing I don’t like about granola is how high calorie it is. Most packaged ones are loaded with tons of refined sugar and oil, which makes it taste so good, but turns a breakfast food into a dessert.
I wanted a granola that was slightly sweet, a little salty, and oh so coconut-ty. Once I started, I really got on a roll with the tropical theme and decided to throw some mango in there as well for added sweetness with no extra sugar.
This granola is perfect on top of smoothie bowls, yogurt, with almond or coconut milk, or (my personal favorite) just straight from the container. Just don’t eat it over your bed or else you’ll find wake up next to some scratchy coconut pieces as you’re trying to sleep (guilty). My favorite things about is are:
- low sugar
- low in fat
- full of whole grains and fiber
The recipe is too easy. You simply combine a few ingredients into a bowl, pour the sticky mixture onto a baking sheet, and bake for a few minutes.
The hard part? Not eating it all in one serving!
I blended a frozen banana, a big handful of spinach, a few handfuls of frozen mango, and a scoop of protein powder.
Pour into a bowl, garnish with a mango rose, and of course your granola! I made the mango rose exactly like the avocado one I taught you a few weeks ago.
The granola stores exceptionally well in airtight containers, but I can promise that you won’t need to store it for long! I ate half the batch in two days (don’t judge).
Summer Mango Coconut Granola (makes about 5 cups, you decide how many servings that is 🙂 )
- 3 cups of rolled oats
- 1 cup of slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup dried coconut
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dried mango (chopped)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut, salt, and chia seeds.
- Combine maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and pour over the oat mixture.
- Toss very well to make sure everything is well coated.
- Pour onto your baking sheet, and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle over your dried chopped mango.
- When cool, transfer granola to an airtight container, or my preferred method….your mouth. Enjoy!