Breakfast is served! Shannon at Rituals Ayurveda and Yoga shares a recipe for a lamington inspired breakfast that is delicious anytime of the day :)
Chocolate and coconut covered cake—what’s not to like about lamingtons?! I have joyful childhood memories of eating these sweet vanilla sponge cakes, rolled in melted chocolate and coconut flakes, and sometimes filled with jam or cream, or both!
While the origins of the lamington are steeped in a fascinating and disputed history (are they named after Lord Lamington, former governor of Queensland? Were they really invented in Australia, or New Zealand? Was their creation a deliberate recipe or a cooking mistake gone right? This brief history over at Good Food Australia is for the curious), I think most of us can agree they’re delicious!
This granola recipe from Shannon at Rituals Ayurveda and Yoga is a delicious and more nutritious take on the chocolate-coconut combo, ready for breakfast or a snack. You’ll find a few options in the recipe below. You can add/replace any of your favourite nuts, seeds and grains, as well as your preferred sweetener. In my own version, I omitted the buckwheat and replaced it with pecan nuts (sunflower or pumpkin seeds would work too). I also added a scoop of chocolate collagen powder.
A note from Shannon for the ladies: the cacao and buckwheat (if using) are rich in magnesium, which is calming and grounding for the luteal phase (the week prior to menses) and the menstrual phase of the female menstrual cycle. Do we need another reason to eat our chocolate?!
This granola is full of high-quality fats and protein, and is great served with yoghurt or your favourite milk.
Enjoy, and bon breakfasting!
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients - base
3 cups oats (or quinoa flakes/puffed rice)
1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats/sunflowers seeds/pumpkin seeds
1 cup of chopped mixed nuts (any of your favourites—we used almond, brazil, cashew and walnut)
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
Wet ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup maple syrup (or coconut sugar/rice malt syrup)
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of coconut or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp or a pinch of sea salt
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
Optional
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped dark chocolate
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with parchment.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, raw buckwheat groats or seeds, mixed nuts, chia seeds and flax seeds.
In a medium saucepan on a low heat, melt the coconut oil, and stir in the cacao powder, maple syrup (or coconut sugar/rice malt syrup), milk, vanilla extract and sea salt.
Stir the melted mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing well to coat.
Pour evenly into the lined tray and bake for 20 mins, stirring half-way through to flip the mixture and ensure the edges don’t burn. Bake for a further 5 to 10 mins if needed, the mixture should be firm but will crisp up after cooling.
While the granola is baking, toast the coconut in a pan on the stove until lightly golden. Use a low to medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
Remove the granola from the oven. Once completely cool, sprinkle the coconut, cacao nibs or chocolate over and stir to combine.
Store in an airtight jar or container, and if you prefer, in the fridge to keep it crispy.
Enjoy for breakfast (or anytime of the day!) with your preferred milk and yoghurt.