Ingredient Spotlight: Warming Grain-Free Granola with a Kick

Habanero is our Ingredient of the month in November and this is a wholly unique way to add the invigorating burn of pepper to your day! We've got a quick and simple grain-free version of granola that uses the unique flavors of African Bronze honey, candied ginger and a pinch of habanero for a hearty addition to your morning bowl of yogurt, oatmeal or as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients (makes 12, 1/3C servings):

• 1C raw almonds, sliced
• 1/2C each:
• raw pecans,
• raw pepitas,
• raw sunflower seeds,
• raw walnuts,
• coconut flakes (unsweetened!),
• ground flax seeds
• 1/4C African Bronze Honey. Sub maple syrup for a vegan sweetener.
• a few drops of Stevia, this lowers the sugar content, but keeps all the awesome honey flavor!
• 1/2C coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp habanero pepper powder (you can substitute cayenne here for a lower level of heat)
• 1C chopped candied ginger

We bought all the dry ingredients in bulk from our local co-op, it's the cheapest way to buy organic nuts/seeds/dry goods! We bought sliced almonds, but you can easily chop whole ones yourself.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Chop your pecans, walnuts into smaller bits.. No need for uniform size; some will be chunkier, some will be very fine pieces, it's all good. Add them all to a big mixing bowl.
3. Add in the coconut flakes, pepitas, sunflower seeds, ground flax (your body will not digest whole flax seeds).
4. Melt the African Bronze Honey, coconut oil, and stevia together; you can do this a pan over low heat on the stove, stirring until melted, or in a microwave-safe bowl in 20 second blasts, stirring between until melted.
5. Add the vanilla, salt, and pepper powder to the honey/oil mixture and then pour it over the dry ingredients, mixing as you go. Make sure everything is well combined, taste and adjust for your desired level of sweet/salt/heat! The mixture will be crumbly and moist and will stick together when pressed. If your mixture seems too wet/oily, just add some more chopped nuts or ground flax.
6. Cover a large baking sheet and sides with a layer of parchment paper–this prevents sticking. Add the granola mixture to the center of the baking sheet and press into an even layer with the back of a spatula. Remember to wash your hands after, or wear gloves for this step to avoid getting any of that pepper powder in your eyes later!
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add in your chopped ginger, and mix the brown edges into the soft middle, flatten out again, and put back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes. You may need to go another 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end, it tends to go from golden brown to over-baked quickly!
8. Let cool, break it up, and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.