We’ve tried our fair share of granola recipes. One might go so far as saying that we’ve tried our fair share and yours—and your best friend’s and her brother’s and his cat’s. All well and good. We’ve learned a lot along the way: That olive oil wants to get involved. That unsweetened peanut butter is a healthyish binder. That baking between two sheet pans encourages extra clumps. That you can serve in milky cold brew. That you can supplement the oats with popcorn. Or matzo!
The possibilities are endless. So here’s one more: Instead of having your granola with coffee or serving it in coffee, go all the way and make coffee granola—better yet, Hazelnut Coffee Granola. The cocoa coffee granola (above) includes cocoa powder and brewed espresso. But I wanted to up the ante even further.
I eat granola most often on hurried mornings and hangry afternoons. So what ingredient embraces that energy (or, you know, lack thereof)? Coffee grounds—lots—which couldn’t be bothered to be brewed because it’s just one of those days and, sigh, don’t even ask.
Consider this recipe your power-up. It’s the usual granola method: Combine base ingredients in a big bowl—in this case, oats and toasted, chopped hazelnuts. Combine pretty much everything else in a pot—so melted butter, brown rice syrup (an extra-clumpy trick from Gena Hamshaw), sugar, salt, vanilla, a bunch of coffee grounds, and a splash of brewed coffee. Combine these two mixtures, plus a whisked egg white—another extra-clumpy trick, this time from Smitten Kitchen—spread on a sheet pan, and get it in the oven. Don't toss at all during baking and let it cool completely before breaking into clusters and shards.
And how to serve? Well, how do you take your coffee? If black, maybe this is your afternoon snack granola. If milky, try a bowl of whole or coconut, soy or cashew, even oat. If creamy-sugary, try it on top of frozen yogurt or ice cream. Yes, yes, for breakfast—you know we'd never tell.
| 2 1/2 | cups raw hazelnuts |
| 1/2 | cup (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing |
| 1/2 | cup brown rice syrup |
| 2 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/4 | cup freshly ground coffee beans |
| 3 | tablespoons very strongly brewed coffee |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 4 | cups old-fashioned rolled oats |
| 1 | egg white, whisked with a fork until frothy |
| 2 1/2 | cups raw hazelnuts |
| 1/2 | cup (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing |
| 1/2 | cup brown rice syrup |
| 2 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/4 | cup freshly ground coffee beans |
| 3 | tablespoons very strongly brewed coffee |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 4 | cups old-fashioned rolled oats |
| 1 | egg white, whisked with a fork until frothy |
How many cups of coffee do you average per day? Tell us the truth in the comments below.
Written by: Emma Laperruque
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