Coconut Macadamia Nut Granola Bark

My husband has been asking me all week to make some granola, so this is what he got.  He was snacking on macadamia nuts when I was starting my test kitchen, so I figured that they would make a great addition to the usual recipe I make, but with a few tweaks. Coconut and macadamia nuts go great together.  This recipe is naturally-sweetened, gluten-free and doesn’t contain any preservatives that you will often find in the grocery store brands.  The recipe also produced larger chunks of granola similar to granola bars or chocolate bark, but if you prefer regular sized granola, you could spread out the mixture on the pan before cooking.

INGREDIENTS
– 1/2 cup raw almonds
– 1 cup raw macadamia nuts, divided
– 1 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
– 2/3 cup unsweetened large flake coconut or shredded coconut, or combination of both
– 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 1/4 cup coconut oil
– 1 teaspoon coconut extract, or vanilla if you don’t have coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 275F
2. In a high powdered-blender (e.g., Vitamix) or food processer, add in the almonds and 1/3 cup macadamia nuts.  Pulse until a fine texture.  Do not overmix or it will start the process of releasing oils to become a butter.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. Chop up the remainder of the macadamia nuts (a mix of chunky and fine) and add to the bowl.
4. Add in the rolled oats, coconut, and sea salt and mix until combined.
5.  Melt coconut oil.  Add to the oats, along with the maple syrup and coconut extract.  Mix well.
6.  Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press the mixture down with a spatula so that it forms a 1 inch layer.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the granola and rotate the pan.  It is okay if the granola breaks when you flip it.  Just take the spatula and press it down again.
8. Bake for approximately 15 more minutes until the granola is golden brown.  Take out of the oven and let sit on the pan until fully cooled (about 45 minutes to an hour).
9. Break up the granola into desired sized pieces.  My kids likes larger pieces, but I broke up the granola into smaller pieces for the picture.
10. Feel free to add in other ingredients to the mixture. I like to add in more large flaked coconut and sometimes a few chocolate chips.  You could add in some dates or raisins if you want some additional sweeteness.
11. Store in container in fridge.