Granola is a delicious treat to have in the morning. We know that it is full of tasty goodness but if you buy it in the shops you know that it is also full of sugar. However if you make it yourself at home you know exactly what you have put in. You can alter the quantities so there is less sugar or you can use healthier alternatives. You can also add larger quantities of nuts, seeds and dried fruits so that you really feel like you are have a good hearty breakfast. If you love granola then you really need to try making your own homemade mix as it couldn’t be simpler. Here is a simple outline of a recipe with lots of alternative suggestions so that you can really make your granola your own!
What you need:
- 360 g Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- A couple of handfuls of nuts (your choice – almonds, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nut, or a mixture!)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (you can try other warming spices like cloves, nutmeg, ginger or all spice depending on your preferences)
- 105 g of Melted Coconut Oil (or your oil of your choice)
- 170 g of Honey (or Maple Syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional 50 g of flaked coconut/ dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, banana, apples)/ chocolate chips
Steps:
1) Pre heat the oven to 160°C.
2) Toss together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl including the rolled oats, mixture of nuts and your preferred spice(s).
3) Mix together your wet ingredient together including your oil, honey (or maple syrup) and vanilla extract. If you’d like you can even add a couple of tablespoons of melted peanut butter at this stage.
4) Now drizzle the wet ingredients over the dry oat and nut mixture.
5) Toss the ingredients together so that everything is well coated with the wet ingredients.
6) Now line a baking tray with baking parchment and spread your granola mixture evenly onto the baking tray.
7) Place the baking tray into the oven for around 20 minutes. Keep your eye on the granola to make sure it is not burning. You can change the position in the oven or give the tray a shake every now and then if your oven is temperamental.
8) Remove the granola when golden brown. If you’d like to add coconut flakes you can sprinkle the coconut on top of the granola and then place in the oven for a further 2-3 minutes. Make sure that the coconut isn’t burning.
9) Leave the granola to cool for a 45 minutes to an hour. After it has cooled you can add any extras like dried fruit, chocolate or extra nuts.
10) Store in an air tight container and eat within 2 months. (However it is unlikely it will last long!)
Serving suggestions:
Granola is a great, hearty breakfast that will keep you going throughout the day. You can serve your granola with milk, yogurt or fromage blanc. You can sprinkle on some berries, homemade jam, chopped fruit or extra nuts. Your granola could also be added as a crunchy topping to porridge or a delicious fruity crumble. There are so many ways that you can use granola and it couldn’t be simpler to make yourself at home!
Additional information
If you want to make gluten free granola make sure that you choose gluten-free oats.
You can use seeds instead of nuts if you have a nut allergy. Seeds like chia seed, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds are great alternatives. What is more they are a great source of omega-3 so you should consider adding these seeds to your main granola mixture too!