Home-made Granola
If you walk down the cereal aisle at your local grocery store I am sure you will see a variety of brands offering granola in fancy packaging and I am sure you may have a favourite. I have been there until I decided that I wanted to cut back on the amount of sugar I was consuming. A lot of pre-packaged granola are super high in sugar from excessive sweetener and dried fruits that are added in. When you make your own, you have total control over the ingredients and more important the quantity of the ingredients you add to the recipe.
I searched the blogosphere for a recipe that I liked and I found that there are multiple combinations that work so I want to break it down for you in this post and you can customize the recipe to suit YOU and make it your own. Don’t worry, the recipe is very easy to make and you may already have all the ingredients in your pantry.
Ingredients that go into making a healthy granola
OATS
They’re a wholegrain which is naturally gluten-free but if you are celiac it is best to pick those that are certified gluten free oats which means they are produced in a gluten-free facility. Pick old-fashioned rolled oatsfor this recipe.
NUTS / SEEDS
I typically use almonds in my granola but you can include other nuts such as walnuts, pecans, cashews or seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds. Nuts and seeds are a fantastic source of monounsaturated fat (most of them) and polyunsaturated fat (specifically walnuts). They also add fibre and provide keys vitamin and minerals such as folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphate.
If you are allergic to nuts then you can stick to seeds alone.
TASTELESS UNREFINED OIL
I use coconut oil to help crisp the granola, but you can use any oil which doesn’t have a strong taste.
SWEETENER
You have the choice between honey or maple syrup if you are vegan. I tend to go with maple syrup as it easier to coat the oats with since honey has a thicker consistency.
SPICES / SALT
I keep things simple as I prefer to just use cinnamon, but a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg or pumpkin spice blends also go really well. You could make a fresh batch for thanksgiving with pumpkin spice and gift it to your friends and family.
Adding a pinch of salt to the granola really helps bring balance out the flavours well.
EXTRA TOPPINGS
Dried fruits are a good way to add some additional sweetness and texture to the granola. You can add things like unsweetened dried cranberries, cherries, dried apricot or raisins.
Another great topping is unsweetened coconut flakes or semi-sweet chocolate chips. These ingredients are best to be added after you have baked the granola. I actually prefer to let the granola cool down before adding any toppings.
3 ways to eat granola
You can sprinkle granola over your skyr or Greek yogurt for breakfast
Carry ¼ cup granola in a Ziplock bag and take it to work to snack on mid-afternoon.
You can cut an apple crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds. Spread some peanut butter over it and sprinkle granola over it. Best to share this snack as a whole apple will give you around two servings once you add peanut butter and granola to it.
Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almonds ( or other a combination of nuts + seeds)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 T coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dried cranberries optional – try to buy the unsweetened ones)
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir well to mix it all up.
Pour in the oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well to evenly coat the oat mixture. Spread the granola evenly onto your prepared pan.
Bake until lightly golden, about 15-18 minutes, stirring halfway. Every oven is different so it’s a good idea to check the oats are not burning after 8-10 minutes.
Allow the granola to cool down which also helps it crisp up. Once cooled, add your dried fruit and coconut flakes
Store the granola in a mason jar at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
