Cold days are for baking up warm granola. The smell of cinnamon and toasted oats just wraps your heart in a hug, no matter what the thermostat says. In honor of February & Valentine’s Day, I wanted to make a granola that was both heartwarming and had that special heart-day touch – flowers. I haven’t done a lot of cooking with flowers, but this lavender granola was so simple, my confidence has begun to unfurl. And after eating the delicious results, I certainly feel ready to take on new floral-culinary adventures.
A few tips, courtesy of Healthy Nibbles & Bits, where I found the original recipe:
- Check on the granola as it bakes, and scoop out any that starts to get too brown (usually on the sides). Over-toasted oats are not so tasty.
- Flower shop lavender is not the same as culinary lavender. You never know what kinds of chemicals might be sprayed on the sprigs you get from a florist. I found my culinary lavender buds in the spice section at my local Whole Foods.
- If you like granola clusters (and I do!), stir in a whisked egg white. If you don’t, omit it.
To turn this crunchy treat into a complete Valentine snack, I used the granola as the star ingredient in a layered parfait. My little lady is partial to blueberries, so I chose those and blackberries for the fruit. Blueberry Greek yogurt rounds out the components for my parfait assembly.
I loved how the subtle taste of lavender played nicely with the boldness of the blueberries. It created a lovely palette, too. And since it’s all fairly healthy, seconds are easy to say yes to. Just like a Valentine’s Day hug.
Lavender Cashew Granola
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- ⅔ cup unsalted cashews
- ⅔ cup walnut halves
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (honey works also; add a bit more if you like a sweeter granola)
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 t dried lavender
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- 1 t pure vanilla extract
- small pinch of salt
- 1 large egg white
Parfait ingredients
- 1 and ⅓ cup blueberry Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp dried lavender
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup blackberries
Directions for granola
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent burning.
- In a large bowl, mix all the granola ingredients together except for the egg white.
- In another bowl, whisk egg white with whisk or electric mixer + whisk attachment until egg white becomes become frothy. Pour the egg white on top of the granola and stir gently.
- Spread out the granola on top of the baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the granola is browned, rotating once. Let the granola cool completely before breaking into clusters.
Directions for parfait
- While the granola is baking, mix the Greek yogurt with ½ teaspoon of lavender. Refrigerate the yogurt for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the lavender flavor to set in.
- To make the parfait, alternate layers of yogurt, granola, and fruit.
- Store leftover granola in an airtight container in room temperature.
