Macaroon Granola (Grain Free, Vegan)

If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen my attempts at macaroons.  I tried making them a few different ways and they were good but not amazing (I haven’t given up) but in the process I came up with this Macaroon Granola.  Funny how things work out.

I started crumbling my macaroon attempts on top of my morning yogurt to use them up and fell in love with the combination.  Then I thought why not skip the cookie attempts and make my macaroons into an easy and delicious granola recipe instead.  Bingo, it was fabulous!  Coconut has been one of my favorite ingredients to use lately, which is so surprising to me considering I used to hate coconut and never touched the stuff.

Why is coconut so great?  Coconut is full of medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which is a fat that doesn’t get stored as fat.  Research shows that MCT can increase your metabolism, reduce body fat, protect your immune system and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.  MCT doesn’t require bile for digestion, like regular fat, and instead is rapidly metabolized by the liver, producing ketones.  Ketones are an alternative form of energy that can be used by both your body and brain.  What a great fat!  Another reason that I love using coconut oil so much.

This macaroon granola is only slightly sweetened to prevent the blood sugar crash that can come soon after eating a sugar laden granola found in most grocery store versions.  The coconut get slightly toasted and crunchy in the oven which in my opinion is just as granola should be.  There are so many ways you can make this recipe your own by adding some of your favorite treats.  Goji berries, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts would make some great additions.

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 -8

Author Sara

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
3. Spread out the coconut mixture on a lined sheet pan, packing it together like one big flat cookie.
4. Bake until the edges are browned 12-15 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely and break into pieces.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

*choose organic ingredients when possible.