If the capricious spring breezes and surprise showers have you dreaming of warmer days and sun-drenched fields of flowers, this recipe is for you! Close your eyes and enjoy the aroma and flavors of midsummer, no matter what the weather may be doing outside!
What’s better than your favorite granola recipe? A new favorite! My family eats a lot of yogurt and granola, and I like to switch up my recipes so nobody gets bored. Okay, maybe it’s so I don’t get bored making the same recipe over and over again! Regardless, I am always ready to try out a new flavor combination, and when I saw this combination of lavender and blueberries, I knew I had to try it.
Baking with Flowers
If you have never used flowers in your cooking or baking, you are in for a real treat! Flowers have such delicate flavors that they can be easily overpowered by stronger spices or botanical extracts, but the faint aroma they lend to this granola is simply exquisite! It elevates this recipe from just another batch of granola to an experience of summer’s bounty in your bowl.
I have fallen in love with Frances Bissell’s books on baking and cooking with flowers, and am now the delighted owner of all three: The Floral Baker, The Fragrant Pantry, and The Scented Kitchen! (These links will take you to Amazon.com, where you can find the books if you wish.)
Her books include recipes for incorporating fresh and dried flowers into recipes, as well as floral essences. Some of the recipes I have tried include Strawberry-Rose Petal Jam, Saffron Tea Bread, and a Lavender-flavored Limoncello. Of course, the availability of fresh flowers depends on your locale and the time of year, so many of these recipes must be prepared in the summer; but others rely on convenient bottled essences like rose water, orange blossom water, or culinary lavender essence.
I love how these books provide a springboard for one’s own ideas and inspirations about floral concoctions. For example, you could take her idea for strawberry-rose petal jam and turn it into a floral syrup instead. Or, of course, you could use different fruits or flowers that are available in your own season and climate.
These cookbooks have opened up a whole new realm of culinary possibilities to me, and I highly recommend them to anyone who loves flowers, or merely experimenting with different flavor combinations.
This particular recipe does not come from one of Frances Bissell’s books, but rather from the Whip & Wander blog. I have adapted it with my own preference of granola ingredients, including rather more coconut than the original!
I also wanted a stronger lavender scent and flavor, so I bumped up the amount of dried lavender and added some culinary lavender essence. I also decreased or eliminated many of the spices in the original recipe, not because I don’t like them, but because I wanted a simpler backdrop for the lavender and blueberry flavors.
And what a grand combination that is! I would never have thought to pair those two, but the sweet-tangy flavor of dried blueberries is just perfect with the delicate whiff of lavender. It’s like having breakfast in the garden in late July.
Ingredients
Oats
Most granola recipes start with rolled oats, but you are not limited to that, of course. I have used a rolled 7-grain cereal with success, although the final texture is a bit chewier. Experiment with different rolled grains if you like!
Nuts & Seeds
This recipe uses raw pecans, pepitas, flaked coconut, golden flax seeds, and sesame seeds. These may all be pre-soaked, if you have the time and energy. Soaking nuts before roasting them does improve their digestibility and nutrient value.
If you have a nut allergy, by all means substitute a different nut! Likewise, if small seeds are hard on your digestion, it’s perfectly fine to leave them out. I would suggest adding a bit of wheat germ or bran instead, if you can tolerate it.
Coconut Oil
I used a combination of coconut oil and coconut butter in this recipe, mostly because that’s what I had on hand. It is perfectly fine to use all coconut oil or all coconut butter. Coconut butter is made of pureed dried coconut flakes, just as peanut butter is made of pureed peanuts. It has a stronger coconut flavor, more protein, and less fat than coconut oil. For the purposes of this recipe, either ingredient works fine.
Lavender Essence
Lavender essence is a floral extract, usually made with either alcohol or vegetable glycerin. You can make your own, or find it in specialty shops. (Or here on Amazon.) If you can’t find culinary grade lavender essence, feel free to omit it. You do NOT want to use a skin product processed with preservatives!
Method
You will need one or two rimmed baking pans, depending on the size of your oven. I happen to be living with quite a small oven at this point in time, so I used two 13×9-inch baking pans. However, a standard rimmed half-sheet pan also works just fine for granola, as long as it fits in your oven!
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper, if you like. Honestly, I usually just don’t bother with parchment paper for granola, as you will be stirring the pan frequently and there is less risk of burnt bits sticking to the pan.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. You don’t want to bake granola at a higher temperature, or the top will brown too quickly, while the underlayer does not cook through.
Melt your coconut oil or butter while the oven is heating. I like to use the pan I will cook the granola in, to save on dishes. Just pop it in the oven for a few minutes; coconut oil melts pretty quickly.
In a large bowl, combine all of your grains, nuts, and seeds. I used rolled oats, raw pecans, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flaked coconut, golden flax seeds, and sesame seeds. Sprinkle in the lavender flowers, cinnamon, and salt, and give the mixture a good stir.
When your coconut oil or butter is melted, pour it into a small bowl or glass measuring cup along with the honey, vanilla extract, and lavender essence.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture, and give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon. The liquid should be evenly distributed, so there are no dry patches anywhere.
Spread the granola mixture into your baking pan(s), and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. If you are using two pans, you will need to rotate them as well.
The granola is done when it is golden brown on top. It should not be dark. The granola will still appear soft; it will crisp up as it cools.
Cool the granola in the pans. Continue to stir occasionally as it cools, or it will stick to the pans. Stir in the dried blueberries at this point. The reason you don’t want to cook them along with the granola is that dried fruits and berries will get too dried out and possibly scorched in the oven.
When the granola is completely cool, transfer it to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a month. But it probably won’t last that long!
This granola also makes a great gift. Put some in a glass jar and tie with a pretty ribbon and decorative label.
Enjoy!
~ Kimberly
Lavender + Blueberry Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp dried lavender flowers
- 2/3 cup honey raw
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or coconut butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2-3 drops culinary lavender essence optional
- 200 grams dried blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place the coconut oil or coconut butter in a heatproof dish or rimmed baking pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, pepitas, coconut flakes, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and lavender flowers. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and lavender essence. Stir well to combine.
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to combine. The liquid should be evenly distributed so that there are no dry patches.
- Spread the oat mixture into one or two baking pans. You will need two 13×9-inch pans or one large rimmed half-sheet pan.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring the granola every 15 minutes and rotating pans if you are using more than one. The granola should look golden, but not dark. It will crisp up as it cools.
- Cool the granola in the pans. Stir in the dried blueberries last, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Leave a Reply