Matcha or coffee? I feel like this is such a common question, but honestly, I couldn’t decide. I really like both. As there’s already a coffe inspired granola recipe on my blog, I thought it would be just to include Mathca too in form of this Matcha lemon granola.
To be truthful, I had not always been a great Matcha enthusiast. In fact I could not stand it at all- until I found out that I need to use a good quality grade one. The tea will still have a very unique, earthy and „green“ flavour, but that is what makes it so special (in my opinion). And I now can say that I thoroughly enjoy a cup of Matcha latte- especially the iced-version-way!
Now unfortunately (but totally legitimate) high quality brands come at a higher price than the culinary grade ones, I know. But once you fall in love with the taste and don’t go crazy with your matcha consumption, you will not want to go back to cheaper Matcha powders and they are definitely worth spending a bit more money on. (Again, that applies for everyone who actually LIKES Matcha, otherwise you probably won’t be seeing it as a meaningful investment, which is totally fine too. Not everything is for everyone!)
Anyways, in case you really do enjoy the taste of Matcha, I can only recommend to try it in your granola- like here, paired with hints of refreshing lemon to make the start to your day a bit more buoyant!
About this matcha lemon granola
The base for this granola is quite similar to the one for my turmeric sunshine granola and crunchy chocolate mocha granola. Which means that it’s sweetened with dates almost only, except for a bit of coconut sugar. This time I made it with some date caramel that needed to be used up, but of course there is an option for baking it from scratch.
I also mentioned that the taste of Matcha varies depending on the grade. However, I also need to mention that this mainly applies for drinking the tea (in my opinion) and you can definitely use a culinary grade Matcha, if that’s more possible for you. But in case you have a favorite brand, go for it- you won’t regret using it for this recipe! Both options will be tasty and add a slightly green colour, which by the way can be enhanced by mixing in some chlorella.
To make the granola a bit more refreshing, we will add some lemon zest and juice too. And because a good granola always needs a mix of different textures and flavors, I went for Macadamias, a bit of coconut flakes and dried cranberries. However, feel free to add different nuts like cashews or shaved almonds.
But now, enough from me, let’s start baking, shall we?
ALL THE BEST
Matcha lemon granola
Ingredients
- 250 g oats If needed gluten free
- 50 g puffed grains (like amaranth, quinoa, etc.)
- 50 g macadamias* chopped
- 150 g date paste OR 100g dates soaked in warm water, drained & blended with 1/2 Cup water
- 1 heaped Tbsp (25g) cashew butter
- 1 Tbsp lemon juce
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- 2 Tsp Matcha powder
- 1/2 Tsp chlorella (optional)
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaped Tbsp (15g) coconut sugar
- 70 g dried cranberries chopped
- 30 g coconut flakes or almond slivers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C and like a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper.
- Add the oats, macadamias, puffed grains, matcha powder, coconut sugar, lemon zest and chlorella powder (if using) to a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine the date paste or mixture, vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix together.
- Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Spread the granola out onto the prepared baking tray.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, mixing through with a wooden spoon every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t get burnt. Let cool completely, then add the chopped dried cranberries and coconut flakes (or almond slivers). Enjoy!
