Granola Bark - Everyday Annie

As I suppose is perfectly in keeping with the theme of Januarys eternal, I had the best of intentions. Here we are almost two weeks into the month and I am just starting to realize them. My plan was to post so many healthy and satisfying recipes for you by this point, but daily life laughs in the face of that. I’m always walking that line between high achievement and being okay when things don’t quite work out the way I planned.

Thankfully, I do have a massive list of what I think will be really great recipes planned for you all. I so appreciate your feedback about what sorts of recipes you are most interested in, and it largely shaped the plans I have made. Among the most common requests I received were many calls for breakfast ideas that can be made in advance as well as lots of requests for snacks. This granola bark can function both ways.

While we’re at it, let’s talk about what a brilliant idea granola bark is! It’s easy and fun to make, mixing up the granola and then patting it out into one large sheet. After baking, you get to break it up into shards and exercise will power by not eating it all right then. I’m pretty picky about my granola – flavor, texture, chewability (it’s a word…I just made it up) – but this particular recipe is stellar. It hits all of my requirements for great granola and I’m so glad to have it on hand for snack attacks and easy breakfasts.

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes

Ingredients

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups (300 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cups (140 grams) chopped almonds
1¼ cups (60 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup (80 grams) flax or chia seeds
½ cup (60 grams) almond flour or hazelnut flour
½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup
½ cup (106 grams) brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large egg white, whisked until frothy

Directions

01
Heat the oven to 325˚ F. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
02
In a large bowl, combine the cinnamon, oats, almonds, coconut, flax or chia seeds, and almond or hazelnut flour. Stir to blend, and set aside.
03
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, water, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and let cool to warm room temperature.
04
Once the syrup mixture is cooled, add the olive oil and egg white. Whisk to incorporate. Pour into the bowl with the oat mixture and mix well with a spatula.
05
Spread the mixture evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Use the bottom of a pot (I used the now cool saucepan) to press the mixture down firmly, compacting it. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the sheet about halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. During the 45 minutes, open the oven a few times to release steam.
06
Leaving the oven on, transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool until the surface of the granola is crisp. If the surface is still tacky, return the pan to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, checking every 5 minutes to avoid over browning.
07
Once cook, break the bark into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Source

slightly adapted from Tartine All Day by Elisabeth Pruitt