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Coconut Mango Granola - How to Make Granola

Coconut Mango Granola is the perfect summer granola with tropical flavors of sweet mango and woodsy, nutty coconut. It is super easy to make granola from scratch so you should never get store bought again! In this post I will also give you the perfect ratio for homemade granolas so you have endless customization possibilities.

 

A glass jar with coconut mango granola seen from above.

 

Related: 5 Trail Mix Recipes for a Healthy Energy Kick!

 

What is the difference between granola and müesli?

 

I always wondered about this, because in Norway we use the word müesli a lot and is the item we eat the most. Both granola and müesli work the same way; like a breakfast cereal that is great on top of yogurt or with milk, in a chocolate bar or even in baked goods.

 

However, the biggest difference is that müesli is uncooked and with no other sweeteners other than the dried fruits, resulting in a raw and loose texture. Granola is cooked with sweeteners so the pieces clump together creating larger chunks of oaty goodness.  

 

A big glass jar with granola and a vase with lavender flowers in the background.

 

No need for a recipe

 

Honestly, granola is so easy to make it is hard to justify to make it into a recipe. However, I really like this combination with mango and coconut so you can't stop me. However, considering I am so nice, I am also sharing with you the perfect ratio for granola so you can jazz it up any way you want.

 

A blue bowl with greek yogurt and mango granola.

 

The perfect ratio for granola 

 

The perfect ratio for any kind of granola, although there is no right or wrong answer, is to combine:

 

  • 4 parts oats
  • 2 parts nuts/seeds (or coconut)
  • 1 part dried fruit
  • ½ part fat
  • ½ part sweetener

 

And you can also add things like vanilla extract, salt and spices. Boom! There you have a million ways to make granola. And this coconut mango version is my summer granola that I love to serve with Greek yogurt, a few dollops of homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk and a light drizzle of lavender honey, chamomile honey, or regular honey.

 

Two bowls with greek yogurt and granola.

 

Ingredients

A little explanation of all the ingredients in this tropical granola.

 

    • Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats keep their shape well when baking, however you can get away with using quick oats as well. Quick oats may need shorter time in the oven as they are already so thin. Quick oats can result in the granola not drying properly so when finished baking I would let them dry inside the oven with a cracked-open door.

 

 

 

    • Flax seeds: A little crushed flax seeds goes a long way. Flax seeds are high in omega-3 fats, fiber and loaded with a bunch of other nutrients so why not add it to your granola. 

 

    • Desiccated coconut: To evenly distribute the coconut flavor in the granola.

 

    • Coconut flakes: For extra texture and more coconut flavor!

 

    • Coconut oil: Fat helps with the texture of the granola, and you can use anything you want, like butter or any other oil. I love to use the coconut oil with coconut flavor for this particular dish so that I get extra coconut flavor! And yes, there do exist coconut oils with neutral taste, so you should read the label.

 

A blue bowl with Greek yogurt and granola, seen from above.

 

    • Maple syrup: along with fat, liquid sweetener is needed to get the granola to clump together. Yes, sweeteners like this aren't healthy. You could use honey instead to get more nutrients out of it although the recipe will no longer be vegan. Or if you want even more delicious flavor, I can recommend using homemade caramel sauce as the sweetener!

 

    • Dried mango: you can use any dried fruit you want, but I'm so ready to go back to travelling so I'm headed towards somewhere tropical. Pineapple or apricot are also great options! If you want to reduce your sugar intake, the mango can also be omitted, but the flavor and texture will obviously not be the same. Mango contains a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants, and also a lot of other nutrients but still low-kcal! 

 

    • Salt: salt enhances the sweetness and the flavor of the granola, but it is completely optional.
    • Vanilla extract: same with this, the vanilla extract complements the tropical flavors and oats, but is also optional.

 

How to make this tropical summer granola

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (150C). Combine the dry ingredients together: rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and salt (1). Now melt the coconut oil if it's solidified and mix with your desired sweetener, whether it's homemade caramel sauce or maple syrup. Mix with the dry ingredients (2-3).

 

Pour on to a large baking sheet (4), press down to an even layer (5) and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through*. Then add the desiccated coconut and coconut flakes (6-7) and bake for another 5 minutes or until the granola is golden. 

 

Steps to mix the granola.

 

Stir in chopped, dried mango once done (8), press it down to one layer and place it back into the oven. Turn the heat off and let the granola slowly cool to room temperature.

 

Granola doesn't clump together

 

* I'd say this is optional, because the more you stir, the less likely it is that you will get good clumps of granola. I didn't want to burn my granola and so I stir so much I don't get big lumps. It is easier to get clumpy granola when you don't add things like coconut and mango at the end.

 

That is why I'll be making another recipe for extra clumpy granola once. So even though this doesn't stick together so much, it is still super delicious and that smell of toasted oats and coconut oil when baking is divine!

 

Steps to bake the granola.

 

Serve with Greek yogurt (or something equivalent for dairy free and vegan) and fresh fruit, a few dollops homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk and a few drops of lavender honey (or maple syrup for vegan) for a real decadent and summery treat.

 

For a savory breakfast and brunch option, don't forget to check out this wonderful pesto eggs green shakshuka

 

Enjoy!

 

Drizzling condensed coconut milk over a bowl of granola.

 

Did you like this recipe? Here's more breakfast ideas I think you will like:

 

 

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📖 Recipe

A glass jar with coconut mango granola seen from above.

Coconut Mango Granola - How to Make Granola

Yield: 7 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Coconut Mango Granola is a perfect summer granola with tropical flavors of sweet mango and coconut. Granola is also so easy to make from scratch!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups rolled oats, 360g
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds, 70g
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds, 60g
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, optional
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
  • ¼-1/2 cup maple syrup, 4-8 tbsp*
  • ¼-1/2 cup coconut oil, 4-8 tbsp*
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut, 75g
  • ⅓ cup coconut flakes, 40g
  • ⅓ cup chopped dried mango, 55g (can also use apricot or raisins)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F (150C). Combine the dry ingredients together: rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds and salt.
  2. Melt the coconut oil if it’s solidified and mix with maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix with the dry ingredients.
  3. Pour on to a large baking sheet and press down to an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through**.
  4. Add desiccated and coconut flakes and bake another 5 minutes or until the granola is golden.
  5. Lighty stir in chopped, dried mango and again press it down to an even layer, put it back in the oven and turn it off, with the door cracked open. Let it slowly cool to room temperature before breaking into clumps (if it clumps).
  6. Keeps in a jar with a tight lid for several weeks.
  7. Serve with Greek yogurt, homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk and lavender honey for a real decadent breakfast!

Notes

* Liquid sweetener and fat are there to help make the clumpy texture (and also flavor!), but you can reduce it if you like.

** Stirring will make it less likely to achieve clumpy granola. For this particular recipe it can be hard to get it. As we do not want to burn the coconut and mango they will be added at the end, possibly ruining the clumpyness (but not deliciousness!).

You can also try combining the granola with a frothy egg white before baking, to help bind it, but I have not personally tried this.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: ½ cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 13.7gSaturated Fat: 8.2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 48mgCarbohydrates: 23.8gFiber: 4.4gSugar: 4.8gProtein: 5.6g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, estimate for informational purposes only.

Did you make this recipe?

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