Crunchy Granola
Store bought granola is a popular breakfast staple, but it’s usually high in saturated fat and sugar. To get those epic clusters you need quite a bit of fat and sugar to help stick all the ingredients together. Making homemade granola is super simple and you can have fun by coming up with different flavour combinations. We make a special one for the holidays with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest and dried cranberries to make it festive. We’ve also made one with a tropical feel with dried pineapple and shredded coconut, the options are endless! Making it homemade can help you control the ingredients too, meaning you can add a healthier spin, using healthy plant based fats and less sugar while bumping up the fibre and tailoring it to your tastes with lots of different add ins!
The recipe below includes almonds and pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) in addition to raisins and dried cranberries. I always add these in after the granola comes out of the oven, I’ve made the mistake of adding them in before and I always find the nuts and seeds get too roasted and the dried fruit burns. Adding them in once the oat mixture has had a chance to cool seems to work out better. Experiment with different nuts, seeds and dry fruit, try walnuts, cashews, pecans or sunflower seeds and for fruit you can add dates, dried figs, dried apple or currants. Trying out different spices also adds a nice touch. You can pretty much make a different combo each time. As for oil, using a neutral oil is best, that way it doesn’t interfere with any of the other flavours. I usually use canola oil, but something like avocado oil or sunflower oil would work well too. Lastly, sweetener, I’m not a huge fan of overly sweet things, and the dried fruit adds a nice bit of sweetness here so you don’t need a whole lot of honey or maple syrup. Despite using less sugar than what might be found in a store bought box of granola, this recipe still gives you some delicious, crunchy clusters!
This granola is great on its own with your milk of choice poured on top or as a topping for yogurt at snack time. It’s a great choice for breakfast or snack, adding a hit of fibre and protein and great healthy fats from the nuts and seeds. Hope you like it as much as we do!
Crunchy Granola
Makes 8 cups
4 cups old fashioned oats
½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 cup almonds
1 cup pepita (hulled pumpkin seeds)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup raisins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line large baking sheet with parchment paper
In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, chia seeds, hemp seeds, salt and cinnamon
Pour oil and honey or maple syrup over oats and stir to combine well
In a separate bowl, combine almonds, pepita and dried fruit, do not add to oats, set aside and reserve for later
Pour oat mixture onto baking sheet and transfer to oven for 20 minutes
Allow oats to cool then add nuts, seeds and dry fruit. Mix well
Once completely cooled, transfer granola to sealed container and store in the refrigerator or freezer