Power up your breakfast (and your snacks, and desserts) with this coffee-infused recipe, and prepare to start crunching through the day. How have we not discovered coffee granola sooner?
Marrying the nutty and sweet flavors of homemade granola with your favorite fine Kahwa coffee grounds, this dairy-free food is a delicious way to incorporate more java in the kitchen. Bonus: it’s a great source of antioxidants, magnesium and potassium. And you can even whip up a vegan version.
There are so many ways to use these crispy morsels. Layer coffee granola with yogurt and bananas for a mouthwatering breakfast parfait. Sneak it into your pancakes and cookies, or sprinkle it over chocolate ice cream for an after-dinner treat. Top it with any kind of milk (dairy-free or otherwise) and dig into the morning … or just munch by the handful for an afternoon pick-me-up.
And yes, we mean that literally. Eating coffee can provide as much caffeine as you’d get from drinking coffee, and sometimes more, depending on the serving size you wind up devouring.
Just like with your morning cup of joe, this granola can be tweaked depending on taste. Start with 4 cups of base ingredients in a large bowl -- three parts old fashioned rolled oats (they’re naturally gluten free, btw) to one part raw nuts (such as rough-chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds, which get toasty in the oven). If you’re going vegan on this, make a flax egg now and set it aside to thicken.
Over medium-low heat, mix melted butter (or coconut oil) with brown rice syrup, 1/2 cup honey (maple syrup for vegans), 1/4 cup of your favorite dry coffee (medium or coarse grind), sea salt, pure vanilla extract, and a healthy splash of brewed coffee.
Mouth already watering? Whisk this nectar until it’s smooth, thinning with a few splashes of water if needed. Then combine your two mixtures, the wet and the dry, into the big bowl along with a whisked egg white (or the flax egg in your vegan version).
Here, some people like to add a cup of dried fruit such as cherries or dates. We are definitely among those people. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or cacao nibs are also heavenly additions.
Stir the whole mess really well to make sure all ingredients thoroughly combine. Spread evenly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, packing the mixture in tightly, and pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the oats turn golden brown and smell insanely good. Take the pan out and let it rest awhile. The granola will continue crisping as it sits.
This won’t be easy to do, but you should really let it cool completely before eating any. Break the batch into clusters and try it any way you take your coffee -- straight black, or doused in oat milk and sweetened with vanilla syrup. You can’t go wrong.
Experiment with your seasonings, scale the recipe as big as you want, and jar the leftovers in airtight containers. You can share these with neighbors, or store them in your cool, dry pantry. Granola can last for up to two months, or much longer if you freeze it in a resealable bag. We definitely recommend making extra, because this stuff disappears fast.
