Every time I buy a bag of so called Healthy Granola on the supermarket shelf I am always disappointed to find it significantly lacking in the tasty fruit and nut additions. There are no chunks of oats and reading the ingredients reveals lots of sugar. I decided to take matters into my own hands by making my own granola at home. If you have the same problem then you need to do the same.
Its the easiest thing to make ever!!
Making Healthy Granola in your own kitchen isn’t hard, time-consuming, or expensive. All you need is to do is spend some time with a mixing bowl, a baking tray, and an oven to create your own breakfast cereal to get you through the next week.
The cooking process is relaxing, the result will be delicious, and your whole home will smell better then any candle for hours!
Making your own granola means you make your own perfect breakfast. I’ve tried almost every granola brand and flavor out there, but none of them are creating the exact flavors and textures that I want. Obviously, making my own Healthy Granola is the best solution to this; I can add as many toasted nuts, juicy fruits and whatever seeds I like.
I can toast the oats as much as I want, and I can make the crunchy oat clusters, rather than the pale powdery rubble that often makes up the store-bought versions.
The method is simplicity itself. You simply mix all the dry ingredients together except the dried fruits. If the fruit is added in at the start it may overcook and become bitter. Mix in the wet ingredients. Spread on a baking tray and bake for one hour, stirring every twenty minutes. Add in the dried fruit for the last twenty minutes then cool without stirring to ensure clusters form. Store in an airtight container to keep it crunchy.
There is not really a set recipe as you can just add in whatever it is that you love to eat. The oats, coconut oil and maple syrup need to be the same but other then that you can add whatever you want as long as the quantity is the same. I change it all the time depending what I have or what was on sale at my local health store, I love a bargain!
Healthy Granola Ingredients
Oats
Heart-healthy, hearty, whole-grain old-fashioned oats keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.
Nuts and/or Seeds
I used a mix of nuts including hazelnuts, almonds and cashews to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds.
Unrefined Oil
Oil helps make this granola crisp and irresistible. I prefer coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture.
Natural Sweetener
I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great too but is not Vegan. These natural sweeteners infuse your granola extra-delicious flavor that sugar would not.
Salt and Spice
For flavorful granola, don’t skip the salt! It might seem like an odd addition but it really enhances the taste. I prefer using pink himalayan salt as it contains several minerals not found in regular salt
Cinnamon was added to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit lends some extra sweetness, chewy texture and irresistible fruity flavor. I used dried cranberries and dried tropical fruit for this batch. I also love tart dried cherries, raisins and chopped dried apricots.
Optional Mix-Ins
For fresh citrus flavor, stir fresh citrus zest (up to 2 teaspoons) into the mixture before baking. I love adding orange zest, in particular.
You can add chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled (otherwise, they’ll melt).
If you’d like to add unsweetened coconut flakes, you can add it halfway through baking for perfectly toasted results.
Chunky Granola Tips
If you love big clumps in your granola here are my tips to achieving the best clumps:
Your oats need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together, but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly.
For maximum clumps, gently press down on the Healthy Granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
Don’t bake the granola too long—just until it’s lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it’s done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools.
Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up, this helps chunks to form. Be careful not to over break it or you will not have any chunks.
I like to eat it with vegan yogurt or oat milk. I also like to add fresh or frozen fruit just to overdose on the goodness! It makes a great snack just on its own too, you have to try this recipe, believe me you will not regret it!
Healthy Granola
Ingredients
- 12oz/300g Rolled Oats
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 6oz 150g Mixed Nuts I used brazil nuts, hazelnuts and cashew nuts
- 2oz/ 50g Mixed Seeds I used pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds
- 4oz/ 100g Dried Fruit I used cranberries, pinapple, mango, coconut and banana
- 6fl oz/ 180mll Melted Coconut Oil
- 4 tablespoons Maple Syrup or Honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 120c/250F/Gas 1
- Mix all the dry ingredients except the dried fruits in a bowl. The dried fruits will overcook if added now. Mix well
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients until everything is coated.
- Spread thinly on a baking tray or use more then one tray if needed
- Bake for an hour stirring every twenty minutes. During the last twenty minutes stir in the dried fruit
- Remove from oven but do not stir until it has cooled as this is what forms the clusters
Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #aveggiecooks__ and tag @aveggiecooks__. I would love to see it!
Other recipes to try:
Vegan Bean and Dumpling Casserole
