Gluten free granola with quinoa, nuts & seeds, cranberries and manuka honey – this is one tasty crunch to the day.

When staying at The Nam Hai on our last trip to Vietnam I fell in love with the nut granola at its breakfast buffet. It was clearly house made and contained all the nuts that I love; crunchy and deliciously roasted in honey.

I thought I’d give it a go, throwing in a few extras like quinoa flakes, cranberries, maple syrup and dark coconut sugar.

Just about anything goes when making granola as you can add or subtract anything you like or dislike. Have it with milk, yoghurt or just nibble on it as is.

No rules with this one.

quinoa granola with macadamia, cranberry & manuka honey

makes 8 cups

• 4 tbsp manuka honey
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar, grated
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 cups quinoa flakes
• 1 cup flaked almonds
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ¾ cup macadamia nuts
• ¾ cup hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with non-stick parchment.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla. Allow to dissolve then simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients (except the cranberries) in a large mixing bowl, pour over the honey mixture and mix well. Spread this evenly over the lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring well every 15 minutes. In the last 10 minutes stir through the cranberries.

When done, allow the mixture to cool in the pan, breaking it apart as it cools and hardens. Store in an airtight container when completely cooled.