By Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky, authors of the Run Fast. Eat Slow. Cookbook
A hearty granola packed with oats and seeds is a must for athletes. But the expensive store-bought stuff is often loaded with sugar. Our ginger-spiked granola is lightly sweetened with blackstrap molasses, the sticky good stuff that’s left behind after sugarcane is refined. That makes it high in minerals, including potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium — minerals many athletes don’t get enough of. Be warned: If you share your homemade granola with friends and family, they’ll be asking you to make it over and over and again.
RELATED: Inside Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky’s Run Fast. Eat Slow.
Ginger-Molasses Granola Recipe
Makes 8 cups (16 servings)
Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if sensitive)
1 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (darkest variety, which has a stronger flavor and more minerals than regular molasses)
Preparation
- Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 275°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins or dried fruit, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small microwaveable bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, and molasses and microwave on low until slightly melted. Or melt in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined.
- Spread out in a thick layer on the baking sheet. Bake, gently stirring every 15 minutes, until lightly browned, 45 minutes. Granola will still be moist at the end of baking, but will morph into crunchy goodness once it cools completely.
- Store in a glass jar with a lid at room temperature. Granola will stay fresh for several weeks and likely be devoured long before expiring.
This recipe is from Run Fast. Eat Slow. by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Copyright © 2016 by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Reprinted by permission of Rodale Wellness.