Breakfast Granola

I think I've finally found my staple breakfast! It's super simple but keeps me full and satisfied all morning. I know countless vegan and health food blogs advocate a green smoothie for breakfast, but 1) I can't give up my morning coffee and who would want to drink hot coffee with a cold smoothie for breakfast? 2) I never feel like digging my blender out at 8am and waking up the whole house/apartment and 3) I much prefer green smoothies as a lunch side to a veggie sandwich or wrap. So, I set out to create my own healthy breakfast staple simple enough to replicate every morning that I could enjoy with my hot cup o' Joe. And I think I've found it!

Okay, get ready for this because it's really complicated. While waiting for your coffee to brew, chop the tops off some strawberries, cut them in half, throw them on a plate with some raspberries, and pour a serving of your favorite granola on top (maybe an unsweetened variety with some drizzled agave nectar and a pinch of cinnamon?) Enjoy!

Some notes:

• Finding a suitable vegan milk/cream alternative for my coffee was challenging. I'm not a fan of soy milk and although I enjoyed almond milk in my coffee for a while, it just didn't compare to half & half for me. My secret is coconut milk!! I'm being completely honest when I say I don't taste the coconut at all (and even if I did I wouldn't mind). It tastes just as good as whole milk or cream to me and is 100% vegan- obviously. If you use the vanilla kind, no sweetener is needed but I prefer to use the unsweetened kind with a packet of Truvia.
• Finding store-bought vegan granola is surprisingly challenging just because everyone insists on sweetening it with honey. I could have sworn I double-checked this granola in the store, but turns out it does have honey in it. I don't have the money to just throw a $5 bag of granola away, but when this bag runs out I will be searching for a vegan alternative. (Maybe I should make a homemade batch and write up a post on it?) 
• This is obviously super versatile. When it's not summer anymore and berries cost an arm and a leg again, sliced bananas or other soft fruit would probably taste really good as well. Or if you're like me and love your berries, maybe buying a big bag of frozen mixed berries and letting them thaw in the fridge overnight would be a cost-effective way to hang onto your summer fruit, although I admittedly haven't tried this yet. Also, if you're in a cereal mood this would be fantastic in a bowl with your nut milk of choice (vanilla almond milk sounds amazing).