Salty Sweet Granola and Coconut Yogurt

This salty sweet homemade granola really is the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and it goes really well with creamy coconut yogurt.

I can’t lie to you. Every holiday season I play favorites. No, no! Not with my kids, pointless.

No, I end up embracing, loving, dreaming and obsessing over a gift or food gift that has stolen my heart and that I want to share with everyone.

Even among the thousands of delightful holiday foods and meal ideas that are on the move to tempt me, there is still one that stands out.

With no contest, this granola and yoghurt won. Easy. While granola may not warm your heart with Christmas frosting (which is amazing all over the internet this time of year), I think I’ve officially declared it my favorite Christmas gift this year, especially when it gets gifted by a jar of fancy, thick homemade coconut yogurt.

Unique and refreshing and healthier than caramel-coated-double-chocolate-fudge-filled-candy-stirrup-brownie-bark. That doesn’t mean I won’t bombard you with all sorts of disgusting meals for the rest of the week, but still, for the record, this will be worth it.

Personally, I’ve been eating this granola with my yogurt every morning for the past month, no exaggeration, pinkie bander.

That was impressive. A perfect balance of salty and sweet, it was absolutely stunning with the creamy yogurt and almost perfect for snacking on its own. Between coworkers, friends, neighbors, teachers, the UPS delivery guys (we’re BFFs because of Amazon Prime), at least a few on my list will get this granola and yogurt.

I can’t live on my own if they don’t.

Of course, if you don’t want to make your own yogurt, buying a tub of high-quality, delicious yogurt works well to share the star of the show: the salty sweet granola.

Many of you already love and use one of my favorite granola recipes.

It’s awesome, and of course you can also use and pack it instead, but this granola is definitely worth a try.

It tastes different with olive oil and a variety of nuts, and cooks over a higher heat for a shorter time (nuts and coconut are good additions at the end of the cooking time to prevent burning ). I don’t want to play favorites, but this is my absolute favorite granola right now.

When it first came out of the oven I wasn’t sure about the strong olive oil smell and salty bite – but after a day the flavors meld and soften and it’s great (and I reduced the salt a bit lower too).

Granola and yogurt may not be the most exciting “treat” in the world when you’re dealing with cookies and cakes and brownies, but I promise it’s a worthwhile gift (or just a nice treat).

I certainly wouldn’t turn it down if someone came to my door with it; in fact, I might put it all together myself. Enough talking, just do it!

Packaging:

I’m using a jar and string again here. It’s not original I know but there are hundreds of jars in stock and I always pick it up at the store when nane sees it process I always add to my collection. You can replace the jars with disposable tupperware-type jars or use bags and ties for granola and jars for yogurt.

A note on the yogurt:

The ami recipe is for granola only. Here are the yogurt sacks: I have slightly changed the way I make homemade yogurt (I may have an updated post in January) but in short, I heat the milk in a pot on the stove over high heat, stirring constantly, very mixture will reach 180 degrees F. Remove from heat and add sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract to taste, stirring well to dissolve sugar (I use about 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla , and 1 tablespoon of coconut extract for every gallon of milk—this makes a very, very sweet yogurt, if you want it sweeter, add sugar to taste). Allow the milk to cool to between 110 and 120 degrees F. Mix 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with one more cup of cold milk, then return the mixture to the pot with the milk. Fill mason jars the size of a quart with the milk/yoghurt mixture. Place in a cooler with an even number of glasses of very warm water. Close the fridge and let the yogurt mature for 8–10 hours (I also do this by putting the jars in the oven preheated to 175 degrees and then turning off. I cover the jars with a large towel and open the oven to myo slightly warm for 8–10 hours). Straining the yogurt is optional; who uses whole milk, I rarely strain the yogurt, I just keep the jars in the fridge. Instead I use 1% milk, I strain the yogurt through cheesecloth in a strainer for about an hour, then whisk to combine the yogurt again and refrigerate. This is the good yogurt in the world.

Salty Sweet Granola

Yield: 40 1/4 cup servings (10 cups)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 27 minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups (600 g) oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons kosher coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• ½ tsp cinnamon ginger
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 ½ tsp already pure vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped
• 1 ⅓ cups macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 ⅓ cups raw almonds, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
3. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until combined. Take 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture and set aside for later use.
4. Stir most of the wet ingredients into the oat mixture and fold in evenly.
5. Spread granola between two baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring and turning halfway through.
6. Mix the peanuts and coconut with the reserved olive oil.
7. Add the nut mixture to the granola after it has cooked for 20 minutes and then cook for 7 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. This granola tastes better if it sits for a day or two before eating.

Note

Allow the flavors to blend: this granola is best kept, covered, for 12-24 hours – the flavors will blend and the olive oil smell will disappear.
Usage: Different ingredients also vary – add the type of nuts you like. You can also add dried fruit after the granola has been cooked and cooled.