Breakfast has always been my favourite meal of the day.

But mornings are also one of the busiest times of the day in my house.

There are two little mouths to feed. There is a cat circling my ankles. And then there is all the getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing bags, locating lost toys that “I reaaally want to take to school with me today, mommy.” Some mornings I teach an early yoga class before I even get to all of the above.

So I need my breakfast to be as quick and easy as it is nutritious. That’s why this granola recipe from Ella Woodward is in my all-time greatest food hits list. I’d honestly be happy to eat it three times a day.

Ella’s blog, Deliciously Ella, started as a way of dealing with a relatively rare illness she was diagnosed with in 2011. Basically it had a devastating effect on her health, and life and after six months of trying conventional medicines to no effect, she switched cold-turkey to a whole foods, plant-based diet.

Her first cookbook came out at the beginning of this year and it’s fast become the stickiest and most ingredient-covered in my kitchen, which is a good indicator of my best-loved cookbooks.

This granola is the best of all worlds. It’s dead simple to make, tastes amazing and fuels my body with good stuff for busy mornings. It’s best served with berries (fresh or frozen) and some almond milk. I like to sprinkle some chia seeds on top, too. If you are gluten-free you can substitute the oat flakes for buckwheat flakes.

I recently made a double batch for a trip to France on a special request from the friends we went with (after they had it at my house) and it didn’t even last the week! It honestly is that good.

Cinnamon Pecan Granola

Makes one large container of granola:

– 2 and a 1/2 cups of oats

– 1 cup of pecans

– 1/2 cup of almonds

– 1/2 cup of flax seeds

– 1 cup of pumpkin seeds

– 1 cup of sunflower seeds

– 1 cup of raisins

– 3 tablespoons of coconut oil

– 3 tablespoons of maple syrup

– 3 teaspoons of cinnamon

Directions

1. Place the pecans and almonds in a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds so that they are partially crushed. Then add them to a large mixing bowl with all the other dry ingredients, except the raisins and cinnamon, and stir together.

2. Next, melt the coconut oil with the maple syrup and cinnamon on the stove, once it has dissolved into a sweet liquid add it to the dry bowl and mix well. This should form a delicious oaty nutty bowl, which is slightly sticky.

3. Place the mixture into a baking tray and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees celcius/360 farenheit, until crunchy. During this time you’ll need to stir the mixture to ensure that every bit of the granola gets nicely toasted and the top doesn’t burn.

4. Once the granola is cooked perfectly, remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool, then stir in the raisins. Store the granola in an air-tight container to keep it wonderfully fresh and crunchy.

Happy munching!

Relephant:

5 Things to Do Before Breakfast for a Happy Day.

Author: Khara-Jade Warren

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Author’s Own