Recipe: Charlotte Collard’s star granola

A real foodie, Charlotte Collard fills her “Charlotte’s Kitchen” Instagram account with healthy and generous recipes – and the perfect outfits to cook them in. She takes time out to tell us about her background (spoiler: food plays a big role) and share her favourite granola recipe.

 

Photos by Charlotte Collard.
Follow Charlotte on Instagram @charlotte_collard.

 

Charlotte Collard’s passion for homemade cooking comes from her grandfather. “I used to get up early to help him make bread and homemade yoghurt or to pick blueberries for jam.” Spotted at age 16, Charlotte started her modelling career and soon found herself in New York. Now a mother of 3 young girls, and based in Brussels, she turns to Instagram to combine her knack for fashion with her everyday recipes. “With Charlotte’s Kitchen, I wanted to use taste to invite people into my world. A world of fashion, showcased through food, with recipes that reflect who I am, while staying true to my style.”

 

Charlotte is wearing the NAJABAY vest and the NAJABAY jogger in grey.

 

The beauty of simplicity

Since then, she has taken on the role of TV host for RTBF and collaborated with the Michelin Guide to turn the spotlight on Californian chefs. She has also launched her own live show on Instagram, Une Cha, un Chef, in which she talks with prestigious chefs about simple recipes to “promote home cooking and encourage people to learn how to cook again, because it’s the best way to take care of yourself.” Charlotte likes her food simple and delicious. “I want my dishes to be luscious and generous, always with healthy ingredients.”  Her granola recipe is the perfect example: flavoured with fruits, nuts and seeds, it’s the best go-to for breakfast or a quick snack during the day.

The recipe

Ingredients

400 grammes mixed white seeds, nuts and dried fruits (amaranth seeds, golden flaxseed, coconut flakes, white sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, crushed cashews, crushed blanched almonds and any other nuts of your choice)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp “fleur de sel” fine sea salt
350 grammes apple purée with no added sugar
4 tbsp melted coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C (266°F).
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a salad bowl, then spread over a cooking tray.
3. Bake for 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the granola is a nice golden colour.
4. Let cool, then store in a glass container.
5. To serve, add your favourite plant milk.

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