I cannot believe that it’s December 13th. Christmas is next Sunday. Where has 2016 gone? Where have my college years gone? Where did the past four years post college go? I mean does anyone else feel like time is just flying by and there are just not enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do? I am having a moment of nostalgia mixed with a little panic along with joy and some excitement. This can be very confusing at times. I feel better writing out these emotions as I have no one around me at the moment to express them to. So thanks, my readers out there. Thank you for enjoying my recipes along with listening to my moments of overwhelmed-ness and emotional word vomit.
I look back on the past four years, or rather the past eight years and I’m amazed at where life has taken me. For those of you who do not know me personally, I did not grow up in Hawaii. I grew up in a very small town in West Virginia. Well, compared to Oahu, any town in West Virginia is going to seem very rural. Morgantown (I have to give a shout out to the good ole Mo-town), is a college town and is actually considered very hip. Who knew. But in all seriousness, West Virginia is a gorgeous state with some of the best mountain biking, bluegrass, and moonshine around. The trees will make your jaw drop come October, and one piece of advice, takin a dip has nothin to do with the water.
I decided to head west after high school and went to college at a small liberal arts school just south of Seattle. I fell in love with the PNW – the misty days, smell of roasting coffee every other store front, the evergreen, all of it. A piece of my heart will forever be somewhere lost in the PNW no matter where I decide to be right now. And right now, I am in Hawaii. Something I never thought I would say growing up in the hills of good ole WV. And I’m stoked to be here. I have always been a mountain kinda girl with the plaid wearing, bearded lumberjacks… I’m kidding (not really). The water here, the water will melt anyones heart, the sun, and the food. Don’t even get me started on the food here. Acai bowls. I mean have you had one? I am not talking about smoothie bowls (which are a great alternative when Costco doesn’t have acai) with mostly berries and like a tablespoon of acai powder. I’m talkin full on all acai. Say what? Like no fillers to make you think it’s acai, but it’s mostly blueberries and raspberries? Nope. Just pure Acai. With the most delicious sweet and salty granola to serve with it. Then the cherry on top – raw honey. I see the heavens every time I get my hands on one.
Not to dangle the carrot in front of all you lovely non Hawaii dwellers. Costco has acai! You can even get it at most supermarkets nowadays. Then you can use this granola recipe I’m about to share with you to make your very own acai bowl.
Hooray!
Which brings me to granola… and acai (I will keep throwing the word acai in there just so you give in and make yourself one). There’s a coffee shop on the North Shore of Oahu, the Coffee Gallery, that has the BEST EVERRRRRR acai bowl in all of Hawaii. Hands down, do not try to argue this one with me, you will not win. So if you live on Oahu then I expect you to make a trip up there ASAP, right now you can even check out Pipe Masters with your acai bowl in hand ;). And if you don’t live in Hawaii, but have this little island on your bucket list of destinations, you can now list the Coffee Gallery as number one on tourist to do list. I am currently feeling inspired to start a page of all my favorites in Hawaii from food to hikes to acai bowls to swimming holes and back to more food.
Okay back to the granola. This recipe is completely mimicked from the Coffee Gallery’s granola they top with their delicious acai bowl. One of my girlfriend’s and I took a trip up the coast last week to just feel the sea and have a day with no plans or agendas. We of course, stopped at the Coffee Gallery for… how’d ya guess? An acai bowl. And were just totally dreamy and lost in conversation as we ate. I was so careful with every bite. Trying to pick apart exactly what was in the granola that makes it taste so darn good with that perfect salty crunch followed by the sweet of the acai. So, in my eagerness to have that acai bowl just about everyday without driving up to the North Shore (everyday), this recipe is my attempt at recreating their granola (FYI, you can also buy it by the bag if you ever visit the shop, but I like the challenge).
This granola is super simple. There’s no fluff. It’s salty with a hint of sesame, and like most granola you can spice it up any which way your heart desires. It’s also beegan.
Beegan [Bee-guh n] Adjective.
- Coined from the Coffee Gallery’s clever description of claiming a product is vegan aside from the very nutritious natural sweetener, raw honey, which is produced from responsible farms without the harming of bees.
- I am using this keyword because it is so fitting and awesome.
Sweet.
Salty.
Simple.
Crunchy.
Slightly chewy.
Nutty.
Beegan.
Perfection.
hannah @homecooked.love
Yields About 3 cups
5 minPrep Time
23 minCook Time
28 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2.5 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats (not instant)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Unrefined Coconut Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1/8 cup Raw Honey
- 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Salted Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Place parchment on baking sheet
- Combine the first 6 ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir making sure all oats get nice and coated
- Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes (keep an eye on the oats as they can burn quickly). *All ovens heat differently so you may need to stir the oats about halfway through
- Remove pan from oven and add sunflower seeds
- Continue to bake for 8 more minutes
- Remove from oven and sprinkle sesame seeds over top
- Let cool completely before mixing or putting into container to allow the oats to form small clusters and become fully crisp
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days for quality crispness. Or longer and simply reheat in oven to allow the oats to crisp back up.
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