**Updated recipe below”

Throughout the years I have dabbled in various breakfast or no breakfast, aka intermittent fasting practices with various successes. I feel happiest when I do eat breakfast, as it stops me from snacking, especially around 10.30/11am or thereabouts. And even when I tried to “snack well”, choosing plain raw nuts, a few Medjool dates, veggie sticks, and the like, invariably once fallen off the wagon, it is a straight downward spiral.

I am a creature of habit, breakfast usually is porridge oats made with water, and a little milk, then topped with seeds and nuts and a spoonful of honey. On a cool morning, that along with a cup of tea or coffee makes a good start of the day.

I love a good old crunchy texture in my food. I have tried a number of brands of granola and muesli, some are quite tasty but generally quite expensive for what they are, especially the first ingredient is a grain like oats or spelt. But this evening, I made a batch as I had the oven on to bake a loaf of Irish soda bread for dinner. This granola is full of seeds, perfect to use up a number of open packets in the pantry! This batch is also aptly named as the kitchen sink-esque granola! This is a rough guide in terms of quantities.

300g jumbo porridge oats (I love Flahavans, please don’t use quick oats for this, as it can be too “sandy” in texture)
3 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes (such as Maldon), crushed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
50g dried shredded coconut or dessicated coconut
80g whole almonds or whole hazelnuts or whole brazil nuts (still with their brown skin on preferable)
40g sunflower seeds
40g pumpkin seeds
40g golden linseeds
100g dried fruit, optional (such as dried cranberries, cherries, apricots, pineapple or raisins)


– In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey/maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and 150ml water, mix well.
– Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients except the dried fruit, mix it through well ensuring the it is coated with the wet mix. Meanwhile, line a large oven tray with greaseproof paper.
– Tip the oats onto the lined tray, spread it out to an even layer, and bake in a 170c oven for 25-30 minutes. Good idea to check half way and stir through making sure nothing is catching.
– Remove from the oven and cool the whole tray on a wire rack. When it is fully cooled, stir in the dried fruit if using.
– Store the granola in a glass airtight container. This makes 16-20 portions and will keep for a month. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit, natural and full fat (!) yoghurt or kefir or milk for a filling breakfast or snack.

Note: Feel free to mix up the nuts and seeds, the key is using a variety of ingredients for taste and their healthful benefits.

I have adjusted this recipe and the idea of wetting the ingredients with the addition of water is very helpful. Some may wish to use fruit juice, but i think that can be too sweet. I prefer to serve it with fresh fruit. The addition of water helps the mixture to bind and clump into clusters; also prevents the granola mix to harden too much in the hot oven.