Start the day with the gentle warmth of festive spices with this beautifully crunchy, chocolatey granola.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp pure maple syrup or rice syrup

2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp cacao powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 1/2 cups oats

1/4 cup pumpkin seed

1/2 cup nuts (I use walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts)

Optional:

for extra crunch: 1/2 cup of buckwheat groats or puffed brown rice 

Small handful of dried cranberries and sultanas. 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°c.

Add the coconut oil, syrup, coconut sugar, salt and vanilla to a pan and gently melt over a low heat. Once melted add the cacao and stir until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients (expect for the dried fruit) until everything is fully coated.

Spread out evenly over a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes then give it a good shake and stir making sure the granola round the edges is mixed through the middle as it's more likely to cook quicker.

Pop back into the oven for another 5 minutes, stir again. By now it should be smelling deliciously rich and chocolatey and starting to crisp up beautifully. If your oven is not particularly powerful it might need a few minutes longer in the oven, but keep an eye on it as the cacao can start to burn quite quickly. Other wise, remove from the oven stir through the dried fruit and allow to cool completely. It will become deliciously crisp as it cools. Then transfer to an airtight glass container.