This is an alternative way to overcome the back-to-school blues. There is nothing as nice as homemade granola with some fresh fruit, natural yogurt and honey for a great start to the day. We are very spoilt in our family with dad as our beekeeper, keeping us supplied with his wonderful, golden honey. I feel very guilty for not having a great interest in bees and for not being an avid beekeeper myself to carry on the tradition. I leave that instead to my cousin, Catherine Mary. Instead, I’m happy to eat the end result and I use dad’s honey in almost everything that I bake at home.

Do make sure to use pure oats for coeliac-friendly granola and do check with your coeliacs that they can tolerate pure oats.

Back to School Granola

  • 500g (18oz) pure oats
  • 25g (1oz) pumpkin seeds
  • 25g (1oz) sunflower seeds
  • 25g (1oz) linseed
  • 25g (1oz) brown sugar
  • 135ml (4½ floz) sunflower oil
  • 5 tablespoons honey
  • 50g (2oz) dried dates, chopped and stoned
  • 50g (2oz) dried figs, chopped
  • 25g (1oz) flaked almonds
  • 125g (5oz) sultanas
  • 1. Preheat the oven to gas mark three/165°C/325°F.

    2. In a medium bowl, mix the oats with the three seed types and the brown sugar.

    3. In a small bowl, whisk the sunflower oil with the honey until blended.

    4. Pour the oil and honey over the oats and seeds, stirring well to coat everything.

    5. Spread on two baking trays or a large roasting dish and place in the centre of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure that the granola browns evenly.

    6. Once baked, allow to cool.

    7. Mix the dates, figs, flaked almonds and sultanas together.

    8. Mix this into the cooled granola and pour into an airtight jar to store.

    Recipes by Denise O’Callaghan from her book Recipes from my Gluten-Free Kitchen (Mercier Press). Denise is the founder of Denise’s Delicious Gluten-Free Bakery, whose product range is available across Ireland from the major supermarkets, artisan food stores and the online store at www.delicious.ie