Make Your Own Granola
I love granola. I use it as a trail mix enhancer, and as a topping for everything from yogurt parfaits to smoothie bowls, even adding it to my fully loaded sweet potatoes! In most grocery stores there are several options to choose from but sometimes those options are not as healthy as we would like. There may be too much sugar in them or preservatives we are trying to avoid. So why not make your own? You can be creative, change up the nuts, the kind and amount of sweeter, the spices….just about everything! And on top of all that, you’ll save money!
So here is my favorite version:
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans
- 2 bowls
- Parchment paper
- Airtight container for storage
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats (I use gluten free)
- 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (I use pecan, pumpkin seeds, almonds and sunflower seeds)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsps vanilla
- 1 cup Optional: dry fruit, such as raisins, mulberries, cherries or goji berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Mix together first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix the olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a separate bowl and then mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones until you cover the dry ingredients with the wet ones.
- Place 1/2 the mixture on each lined sheet pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, shaking the pan around halfway through. Since some ovens run hotter that others, keep an eye on it to be sure it does not burn.
- Remove the pan from the oven and if adding dry fruit, do so now. (You don’t want to bake them into the granola since they will likely burn). Since the contents are still hot, you can use a spatula to press the dry fruit into the granola mix.
- Let granola cool on the sheet pan and then transfer to an airtight container.
Notes
Granola can be stored at room temp in a sealed container for up to one month. Enjoy!
