Behold Susan Jane White’s Granola Recipe

Susan Jane White’s granola will  sort out breakfast every day for the rest of your life

A bowl of DIY granola and nut milk is a great way to start the day. It takes just 20 minutes to make and the benefits last all week. The beauty of making your own granola is the satisfaction of knowing exactly what went into it – none of the cheap fats, preservatives, sugar or gunk regularly found in commercial ones. For your inner Mary Poppins, tie a ribbon around a jar of granola and give it as Christmas pressies. Parachute some blue cornflower petals in there too, available online and from Fallon & Byrne in Dublin.

2 cups nuts (pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts)

2 1/2 cups jumbo oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 cup combination of sunflower and pumpkin seeds

5 tablespoons ground linseeds or ground almonds

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

3/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup

3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

grated zest of 1 orange

2 cups dried fruit (cranberries, dates, raisins, unsulphured apricots)

1 rough cup dried banana, chopped

Makes 20 servings

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/340F. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Roughly chop any big nuts (pecans are fine left whole). Toss the nuts in a large bowl with the oats, quinoa flakes, seeds, ground linseeds andsalt. Feeling adventurous? A tablespoon of cinnamon or dried ginger will add another flavour layer.

Gently warm the honey, oil and orange zest together. Pour over the bowl of oats and coat well. You won’t be adding the dried fruit until after baking.

Spread thinly on the baking trays and transfer to the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Shake the trays after 8 minutes to prevent burning. You’re aiming for a light golden colour. Oats and nuts taste bitter if you let them turn brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and solidify completely before tossing through the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks. Great with Brazil nut milk or cultured coconut yoghurt. Makes enough to last all week for a large family.

Read our interview with Susan Jane here.

Image.ie readers can purchase Susan Jane White’s cookbook The Extra Virgin Kitchen directly from the publisher here – make sure to use the exclusive discount code EXTRAVIRGIN for 30% off!