This isn’t really a new recipe – rather a twist on my previous post Easy Economical Granola – but after a good few weeks of adding it to every breakfast I’ve eaten, it just didn’t seem fair to keep it all to myself!
Rose petals and rose water are used commonly in Middle Eastern recipes and they always make dishes deliciously aromatic. But what lots of people don’t realise is that they also have incredible health benefits. Rose is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants such as quercetin and ellagic acid which help to repair and protect your body from disease. They can also aid digestion and promote clear, beautiful skin. They’re not just there to look pretty!
The rosy flavour of this granola is also complimented by some other fantastic ingredients – pistachio, apricot and spices. The finished cereal works brilliantly as a topping for overnight oats, porridge or nice cream, or just on its own with a splash of milk. My current favourite is layered up with coconut yogurt and raspberries – make sure you try it if you find those flavours as irresistible as I do!
NB: Oh, and a little tip. Try buying dried rose petals online in bulk instead of in a tiny pot at the supermarket – it’s so much cheaper. Get a big bag and you can use them to make a fragrant body scrub too. Or this tea. Just make sure they are suitable for consumption (from unsprayed roses).
Makes 1 large jar
INGREDIENTS
- 3½ cups/350g oats (or half oats, half rice flakes)
- ¾ cup/100g almonds, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup/100g pistachios, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup/100g mixed seeds
- ½ cup/115g coconut oil
- ½ cup/125ml maple syrup
- ¼ cup/60ml apple puree
- 1 Tbsp rosewater
- ½ -1 tsp salt (depending on taste)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup/100g chopped apricots
- ½ cup/10g dried rose petals
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 150.
- Line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Place the coconut oil, maple syrup, apple puree, salt, rosewater, nutmeg and ginger in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until everything has melted together. Take off the heat and set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients, except the apricots and rose petals, in a large bowl and stir in the coconut oil mixture until everything is thoroughly coated.
- Spread out over the baking sheets and cook in the oven for around 30 mins until golden brown, stirring halfway through.
- Leave to cool on the trays before mixing in the apricots and rose petals.
- Store in an airtight jar. It should stay fresh for at least a month.
