Almond Joy Granola

It’s heeeeeeeeeere!

Almond Joy Granola TitleCan you believe I didn’t like coconut when I was a kid?

I know, right?

Clin-ic-LY…in-SANE 😯

Almond Joy Granola 1

When I was growing up, we would always get together at my great granny’s house for lunch after church on Sundays. After our meal, there were always plenty of desserts to choose from. All the kids (my cute little self included) would dive head-first (Not even joking…seriously, it really should be considered an Olympic sport…makes SO much more sense than the javelin throwing) into Granny’s deep freezer and go straight for the ice cream sandwiches and orange creamsicles. While we kids were busy licking away at our ice cream treats, the adults would most often cut into a big ol’ two layer, covered in white shredded goodness, coconut cake.

Almond Joy Granola 2

I guess I just always saw coconut cake (and therefore anything with coconut) to be a “grown up” dessert.

And well now, you know, since I AM a grown up and all (I think), I’ve finally come to my senses. Still to this day though, I’ve never had an Almond Joy bar. I’m sorry, but when it comes down to it, I’d take cake, and cookies, and brownies. and muffins, and cinnamon rolls, and…ok, so pretty much any baked good (except toaster pastries of course!) over candy ANY DAY!

Almond Joy Granola 4

So while I guess I lose a bit of my credibility when it comes to titling this INGENIOUS recipe creation “Almond Joy”, I’m willing to bet that after one bite, the last thing you’ll be is disappointed. 😀

And before I go any further, I just gotta give a shout out to my girl Jessie for hooking me up with these AMAZING coconut chips in a giveaway I won from her a few months ago. Seriously you guys, if you can get your hands on these, it is SO worth it!

When I die, I want to be BURIED in coconut chips!

Almond Joy Granola

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast snack coconut oil coconut oats almonds

Ingredients (3 cups)

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup wheat bran
  • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/8 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon xylitol (or granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut chips
  • 1/2 cup almonds (half whole, half chopped)**I recommend toasting the almonds for about 10 minutes at 300°F for a bolder flavor!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Combine oats, wheat bran, cocoa, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut oil, honey, sugar, and almond extract.
4. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir well.
5. Spread into thin layer on a baking sheet.
6. Cook for 8 minutes, stir and allow to cook for 8 more minutes or until crisp.
7. Allow to cool on pan for 10 minutes before stirring in coconut chips and almonds.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!).

Powered by Recipage

Are there any foods out there that you hated when you were young but now you love?
I also use to hate brussel sprouts, asparagus, and basically any other green vegetable…except broccoli, I’ve ALWAYS loved broccoli! 😉

If you had to choose a favorite candy bar, what would it be?
I used to sing the praises of Reese’s cups but nowadays, I’d rather have a dark chocolate bar with a little sea salt…and maybe some caramel! 😀

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
This entry was posted in Breakfast, Snacks and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

38 Responses to Almond Joy Granola

  1. Oh girl, I don’t even think I can remember all the foods I hated when I was younger but loved now, because it’s basically everything… everything but cereal, anyways 😉 Plain yogurt? No way. Most veggies? HA! Almond butter? My first taste was at 24. Pumpkin? I thought it was only for carving. Yeah. Let’s just say that my tastes changed a LOT. As for favourite candy? Definitely KitKat!

    Happy Friday 🙂

  2. Oh DANG! It’s funny because I’m pretty sure I saw coconut as an adult thing when I was kid too. My mom’s favorite candy bar was almond joy and I thought that was just the grossest thing ever but now if there was an almond joy we’d probably be fighting over it or half to settle for splitting it. 😉

  3. Foods I hated when I was younger but love now: coconut, tomatoes, bell peppers, yogurt (seriously), and spinach. So glad that changed!

  4. Can we talk about how this recipe is perfect for a minute? Coconut and almonds are my jam!

    I hated raspberries and red meat. Oh how that’s changed!

  5. Looove cocoa and coconut – my favorite combo!! That granola looks soooo pretty.
    I wouldn’t eat brussel sprouts either when I was a kid. And cheese….I mean seriously?? The cheese stores here are OVERWHELMING since we have such a HUGE and delicious choice – I can not believe I wouldn’t eat it.

  6. Feed this to me, please. I was also a coconut hater, and I still can’t deal with the texture of untoasted coconut shreds, but I LOVE the flava.

    Okay, know I need to go get a plane ticket to TN so you can throw this into my face. See ya soon.

  7. Oh goodness, this looks so good. I adore coconut in any form, Almond Joys included! And my list of foods I hated as a kid but love now….god, it’s massive. Anything with tomato sauce – so spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza (yea, I was basically the only kid in the universe that hated pizza), most vegetables, milk (although I’m still not a fan, except in cereal or smoothies)….basically, anything that wasn’t a french fry or a chicken nugget 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      “…basically, anything that wasn’t a french fry or a chicken nugget” <- Hahaha! Yeah, that was totally me! Only I ADORRRRRRED pizza...and still do of course! 😉

  8. Eric says:

    Yum! Almond Joy is one of my favorite candy bars now! Along with Caramello! mmmmm

  9. When I was a kid I hard Almond Joys. I hated coconut. I was crazy. As an older, wiser adult, this granola looks perfect. 🙂

  10. Kendra says:

    I used to despise coconut as well when I was younger, especially the coconut-flavored Sobe waters. But now I love using in all its forms: coconut milk, coconut flour, coconut butter, coconut oil, etc…I also hated tomatoes, which I now consume with great enthusiasm, whether raw or cooked. That granola recipe looks delicious, and quite simple to make as well. I don’t think I’ve ever had an Almond Joy bar either–I am not a fan of those cheap-tasting candy bars anyway. I would much prefer eating one of those expensive-yet-delicious dark chocolate bars with the highest cacao content possible. The more bitter, the better!

  11. Thanks for the shoutout love! I’m sooooooo bookmarking this recipe.

  12. Whoa girl!! This looks AMAZING.

    p.s. you are a great food photographer! dang. And that is why I leave that job up to other people 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Awww, thanks girlie! I try…even though half the time I have NO IDEA what I’m doing! Fake it till you make it learn what all the buttons on your camera are for, right? 😉

  13. Pinning! I want to be buried in coconut chips, too!
    BTW, I am doing good. Got me a nice new camera to keep me busy. Hoping it will instantly make me a better photographer. LOL! I hope we meet up again sometime soon. Miss me some Heather. 😀

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Hahaha! You sound like me…I’ve had my “big” camera for over two years now and STILL don’t really know what I’m doing with it…but my pictures look pretty good! Lol

      So glad to hear you’re doing well! I miss you too lady! xoxo

  14. This looks too good. Too good!!!

  15. Almond, coconut, and chocolate… does it get any better? I am SO making this! I’ve never had those coconut flakes before, but I got some coconut flakes from Trader Joe’s when I was in the US in May and I think they are sort of the same thing? They are super delicious!

    When I was younger I hated fish and olives, but now I love both of them. I’m still not crazy about asparagus though. 😛

  16. Fancy shipping some of this to the UK? Yum! I love granola, especially on Greek yogurt.

  17. I’m SO glad it turned out!! And it’s beautiful. Almond Joys have always been my favorite. I was always that kid at Halloween, collecting all her friends’ Almond Joys because they didn’t like them. Total score. Also, our birthday cakes in our family were always my grandma’s layered coconut cake. Yum!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ahhh yes, I should have known you would be wise before your time! I was one of the many hunting down/bartering for Reese’s cups! Haha!

  18. This post and you making granola makes my heart happy.
    I used to hate tomatoes when I was a kid. I only liked the basic vegetables and I never had salads. Meat and fish were texturally too odd, and I couldn’t have my food touch so I guess some things have changed. Basically I was the pickiest eater and my parents are flabbergasted I have a food blog now.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Hahaha! Sounds just like me as a kid! Omg, I HATED eating meat! I would always complain that it “took too long to chew” and the only way anyone was ever able to get me to eat steak was when my aunt told me I could put ketchup on it!

      And I’m so happy to make your heart happy…I have to say I was pretty darn proud of myself with this one and couldn’t help but think of you! 🙂

  19. Pingback: Liking the links | Let's get living

  20. Lee says:

    I didn’t like coconut when I was a kid either. Maybe it is an adult food?

  21. Pingback: Marvelous in My Monday #23 | Sprouts n Squats

  22. Pingback: Together Tuesdays #22 | Jessie Bear, What Will You Wear?

  23. Pingback: Currently: August |

  24. Pingback: Marvelous in my Monday – Summer isn’t gone yet – and pancakes. | Fit Swiss Chick

  25. Pingback: Forgive Me and I’ll Give You a Cookie! |

  26. Pingback: Truffle Me Marvelous! |

  27. Mom says:

    Remember the first time we ever tried asparagus? We were at a luncheon for the daycare. We had chicken, asparagus and something else…but I remember all of us at the table looked at the asparagus and looked at each other, and you and I decided to just try it, we would probably hate it anyway. Only we LOVED it and everyone at the table gave us theirs and thought we were crazy!!!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I DO remember that! Didn’t it have some kind of buttery sauce on it too? Hmmm, now I’m craving asparagus and feel the need to do some sort of craft work! 😉

  28. This granola looks so tasty! I’m with you on the simple (dark) chocolate bar with some caramel and sea salt–such a perfect sweet treat!

  29. Wow, that looks fantastic! As a kid I didn’t like coconut… but as an adult and mixed with chocolate and nuts, SO GOOD! We made homemade Almond Joys a little while back it’s totally changed my mind. I can’t wait to try your version!

  30. Pingback: Wedgies, Waffles, and WINNERS! |

  31. Pingback: Freeze Pleeze: Taking Ice Cream to a Whole New Level! |

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *