Remember when the Master Cleanse was big? People drank lemon juice with cayenne pepper and maple syrup and supposedly got really skinny and their lives were changed forever.
When I think about the insane acts of hanger that I would commit during this cleanse... Nobody wins.
But. One positive takeaway is the awesome flavor combo of maple and cayenne. Lately it's showing up in everything from juices to energy bars and now, my granola.
This one actually came about by accident. I added too much salt to my granola and needed to fix it. So I drizzled on some maple syrup without mixing it in, to give some pure hits of undiluted maple flavor and distract from the salt. Then I thought about spice. Why not? At this point I figured it couldn't make this disaster any worse. And go figure! It tasted awesome!
You may need to tweak what you typically eat with granola. I think it's great with mango, pineapple and other fruits that pair well with spice.
Spicy Maple Pepita Granola
Yield: Makes about 5 cups
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 40 min
Ingredients
Maple, pepitas and cayenne spice up basic granola
3 Tbs coconut, grapeseed or canola oil
2 Tbs honey
3 Tbs maple syrup, divided
3 cups / 0.7 Kg rolled oats (not instant)
0.75 cup / 170 g unsweetened coconut flakes (I like the big ones)
0.5 cup / 114 g sliced almonds
0.5 cup / 114 g coarsely chopped pecans
0.25 cup / 60 g pepitas
1 heaping tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 300F / 150C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, honey and 1 Tbs maple syrup. Heat over low until melted and blended together.
Combine all dry ingredients (oats, coconut, nuts, pepitas, and spices) and stir thoroughly.
Slowly drizzle oil mixture over dry mixture, stirring til blended and slightly chunky. Spread in a layer over baking sheet. Drizzle remaining maple syrup over granola.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, til oats are golden, stirring every ten. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.