Learning how to make granola could not be easier! Homemade granola costs less than storebought and can be made to suit tastes and diets.
Today's recipe is one in which you can use to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" breakfast. Homemade Granola is something you can use in many different ways. Add it to yogurt, have it with a little milk, mix it with fruit, or put it on top of a smoothie bowl.
If it's a dessert you're looking for, sprinkle a little on top of some ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Not only can granola be used in many different ways, but if you're making it yourself, you can also choose which ingredients you want to add to it to make it taste exactly how you want it to taste.
What are the benefits of making homemade granola?
1. Make it to suit your preferences and dietary requirements - choose only the ingredients that you like, and that fit with any allergies or intolerances that you might have.
2. It's cheaper - Granola runs anywhere from $1.50-2.10/100g at my regular grocery store. Even if you have to buy everything to make granola (you probably have at least some of the ingredients in your pantry), it will cost about $1.25/100g.
3. It's fresher and tastes better - I was surprised at how delicious this granola was. It's crunchy, tastes nice and toasty, with just the right amount of sweetness.
4. You can make only how much you need - This recipe as written makes about 1kg of granola which is more than most store-bought boxes. However, if you need less, simply half the recipe.
How to Make Granola:
Once I was sure I had all the ingredients to make my own granola, I put off making it for several days. I thought it would be complicated, or difficult. I was so wrong!
Making homemade granola is as easy as stirring the ingredients together in a large bowl, pressing it into a parchment-lined half-sheet pan, and baking it.
There is no tedious prep work to do, aside from maybe chopping some nuts or dried fruit. Pro-tip: if you chop nuts often, invest in a good, old-fashioned manual nut chopper.
Once your granola comes out of the oven, it will be nice and toasty. Let it cool completely, then break it apart into chunks. If you want, now's the time to mix in your dried fruit. Then simply store it in an airtight container or bag, and you're done. You'll be eating yogurt parfaits in no time!
Homemade Granola Ingredients:
The great thing about making your own homemade granola is that you can change up some of the ingredients to make your granola taste how you want it to taste, and to avoid any ingredients that don't fit with your dietary requirements.
- Maple syrup - or replace with agave syrup or honey if desired
- Brown sugar or replace with granulated sugar, palm sugar, or maple sugar if desired
- Vanilla extract
- kosher salt
- Canola oil - or use another neutral-flavored cooking oil like avocado, grapeseed, or vegetable oil
- old fashioned rolled oats - don't replace with another type of oats here. Steel cut oats are too hard, and quick-cooking oats are too thin and powdery
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseed
- Nuts or seeds of your choice - options include any combination of any of the following: peanuts (though they will lend an obvious peanut flavor), pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried coconut
- Dried fruit of your choice - this is optional. If you like to eat your granola with fresh fruit, feel free to skip the dried fruit. Possible options include raisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, currants, dried pineapple, or dried kiwi.
Want more Oat recipes?
Homemade Granola Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below uses 1 cup of pecans for the nuts and 2 cups of raisins for the dried fruit for it's calculations. If you use different nuts or seeds and dried fruit, your granola may have slightly different nutrition information.
If you are making this granola for someone who follows a gluten-free diet, make sure they are able to tolerate oats and be sure to buy oats that are labeled as "pure" or "gluten-free".
This recipe is dairy-free and vegan as written.
How to Make Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup canola oil or other neutral flavored cooking oil
- 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup flaxseed ground
- 1 cup nuts (coarsely chopped) or seeds of your choice see note 1
- 2 cups dried fruit of your choice optional - see note 2
Instructions
- Prepare a half-sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (don't worry if the edges of the pan aren't covered. As long as the bottom of the pan is mostly covered, the granola will still come out easily). Set aside. Move the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Heat the oven to 325°F.
- Whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the canola oil until it is emulsified.
- Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, and nuts and/or seeds. Gently stir the mixture together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and coated with the syrup mixture.
- Pour the granola mixture into the prepared baking sheet. Press the mixture firmly into the baking sheet with the back of a spatula so that it is spread evenly over the baking sheet and compressed as much as possible.
- Bake the granola until it is lightly browned, 40-45 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time.
- Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break the granola apart into chunks as big or small as you'd like, and mix in the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. If you think it will take you longer than 1 month to eat it, it can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for several months.
Notes
- If using nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios, coarsely chop them. If using seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or dried coconut leave them whole. You can use a combination of your favorite nuts and/or seeds, as long as it totals up to 1 cup.
- If using larger dried fruit like pineapple, mango, strawberries, or apricots, coarsely chop it before adding it to the granola. Smaller dried fruits like blueberries, cherries, or raisins can be left whole. If you like mixing fresh fruit with your granola when you eat it, feel free to skip the dried fruit altogether.
Nutrition
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