The Perfect Healthy Granola

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 335°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, cocoa, seeds, quinoa crisps (optional), cacao nibs, and salt. Use an electric mixer on high speed to whip the aquafaba into floppy peaks. This can take five minutes or so. Use a spatula to gently fold in the olive oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, and fold into a uniform mass.

Step 3

Transfer the granola onto your baking sheet. Rub your hands with a bit of olive oil, and pat the mixture into a thin, solid, single layer. Really try to get it as thin as possible, this will result in the best crunchy texture after baking. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, pat down again, and bake for another 15 minutes. Stir one more time, assess, and (possibly) bake for another 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the whole baking process, the granola can burn in a flash, and it’s hard to see it toasting because it is so dark from the cocoa. The key is knowing when to pull the granola from the oven. You need to go long enough to get crunchy granola in the end, pull it too soon, and your granola will still be tasty, but will lack crunch.

Step 4

Remove from the oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Allow to cool completely before serving or storing, this can take an hour or two. Store in air-tight glass jars to keep the granola crunchy.