This recipe was contributed by Angela Simpson, the blogger behind  Eat Spin Run Repeat. To learn more about Angela, check out her accompanying post and her bio on our Greatist Ambassador page.    

I’m not sure about you, but where I live, summer still feels like a long way away. The snow, the slush, and the salt stains on my boots are making me very envious of anyone jetting off to exotic destinations. Unfortunately I don’t have any grand travel plans in the near future, so instead, I decided to bring the tropical flavors to my kitchen. This granola is much lower in sugar than many similar granolas found in grocery stores, yet it still packs a ton of flavor. So take a bite, close your eyes, and let the taste of coconut, vanilla, pineapple and mango take you on a mini-vacation to the beach!

Recipe: Tropical Beach Granola

Photo by Angela Simpson

Makes about 5 cups

What You’ll Need:

2 1/4 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if necessary)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup roughly chopped or slivered unsalted almonds
2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 cup mixed dried fruit — pineapple, mango, apricots, guava, and  cranberries 

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine the oats with almonds, orange zest, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Place a saucepan over medium heat and whisk the honey, almond milk, and coconut oil until smooth (about 2 minutes).
4. Pour wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to coat.
5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread the oat mixture evenly over the top. Spread the oat mixture as thinly as possible (no thicker than about 1/4 of an inch)
6. Bake for 30 mins, or until nice and toasty.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and break up some of the chunks. (Leave a few big clusters — they’re the best bits!)
8. Turn the heat in the oven up to 325 degrees. While you’re waiting for the temperature to increase, add the flaked coconut to the pan.
9. Bake for another 15 minutes.
10. Remove pan from oven and let cool. It will be soft at this point but will become crunchy as its temperature falls.
11. Mix in the dried fruit and store in a sealed container.

Looking for more ideas to help get you out of a breakfast rut? Head on over to Eat Spin Run Repeat and let these recipes help kick-start your day:  

• Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bars
• Baked Breakfast Tomatoes
• One-Skillet Cherry Tomato Frittata