Ask anyone about the easiest to-go option for breakfast on a busy weekday and the chances are you would hear cereals with  milk and fresh fruits. Not just that they are wholesome and filling but they are healthier too. And milk/yogurt along with some fresh fruits added to them make it a power-packed brekkie meal.

I too equally enjoy my bowl of cereals almost on 3 out of 5 weekdays and sometimes weekends too. Yeah I am crazy about them partly because I get to start my mornings with something sweet and partly because they are fast and easy to do. I like them in cold milk with some fresh seasonal fruits.

And that is the reason, I keep looking for new flavors and combinations. Sometimes with dried fruits and sometimes with nuts. I have been wanting to bake my own granola at home. And when recently I bought my own copy of Smitten Kitchen cookbook, the first recipe I got thrilled about and wanting to bake pretty quick was this big chunk maple granola.

The woody flavor of maple syrup and the sweet aroma of cinnamon are wonderfully wedded together. And the lightly beaten egg whites give this granola a big chunky texture. You could skip adding egg whites, if you don’t prefer them. But trust me, you would not smell them in the final outcome. And if you don’t have maple syrup at home, just replace it with some clear honey and it’ll still be fine.

So, don’t wait. Bake your own granola! And I am pretty sure that you would fall in love with this lightly sweet, not too oily, big chunk crunchy maple granola.

Recipe source : Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

240 gm rolled oats {old fashioned/quick cooking}
1 cup shredded coconut {preferably fresh}
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 large egg white
1 cup mix of dried currants, cherries, cranberries
1/2 dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients except egg whites, dried currants, chocolate chips in a large bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy.
3. Add the egg whites to the oats mixtures and stir to combine well.
4. Lay the mixture evenly onto a large baking tray lined with baking mat/parchment paper and bake in 150 degree Celsius preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes until golden. About halfway through the baking time, carefully turn the granola to bake it evenly on all sides.
5. Once done, let it cool completely. Once cooled, mix in the currant mixture and chocolate chips into the granola. And break the granola into desired chunk size with help of a wooden spoon.