Your Very Own Healthy Granola
Ah, granola! Refreshing, crunchy and a lovey morning energy boost. But shop bought granolas are usually absolute sugar bombs, and often have cheap, unhealthy oils in them too. So let’s make our own - with all goodness!
Take control of the sugar and fat!
To create the crunchy, clumpy granola feel that sets this breakfast favourite apart from muesli, we need to use some oils and sticky sweeteners. But when you make this from scratch, you can take control of which fats and sweeteners you use. Invest in yourself and your wellbeing like those big cereal companies won’t; with healthy oils and better sugar alternatives. (By the way, have you seen my YouTube video on 5 alternatives to sugar in your cooking?) Now you can get some good energy in you to start your day right!
Homemade Granola
Makes about 10 servings (the amount seen in the photo above)
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Rest time: 30 minutes
4 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of raw nuts and seeds of your choice (hazelnut, almonds, pecans, pistachio, walnuts, macadamia, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds… I definitely recommend a mix!)
2 tbsp of shredded coconut (optional)
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup of runny sweetener: honey or maple syrup (I use a mix!)
1/2 cup of healthy oil: coconut oil or olive oil (again, I use a mix! Olive oil is healthier, but coconut oil is so nice in this recipe)
Optional addition to add more stickiness: some nut butter (natural oiliness! Yay) - like almond butter, or even sunflower seed butter!
1/2 cup of dried berries/fruit (redcurrant, cranberries, apricots etc. Chop them if they are big!)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 175ºC, about 160ºC for a fan assisted oven. That’s 350ºF.
Chop up the nuts and add them, plus the seeds, in a large bowl. Add in the oats and shredded coconut (if using), drizzle on a tiny pinch of salt, cinnamon and cardamom, and mix all together. Add in your runny sweetener of choice and your oil (if using coconut oil, make sure it’s melted and cooled down first). Mix everything well so it’s nice and sticky. If you feel like a bit more stickiness is needed, you can add in more oil or some nut/seed butter.
Spread the mix evenly across a large baking tray covered in baking paper. Bake the mix in the oven for about 10 minutes, then take it out, mix everything around so that it can cook evenly, and press the mix down with a spatula to make sure you get nice, sticky chunks at the end. Bake for another 10 minutes (keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn, all ovens are different and nuts can burn quickly!). Take the tray out and spread the dried berries/fruit over the top (you don’t want to bake these as they go really hard and are not a good fit for anyone’s teeth!). Let it rest for at least 30 minutes without touching it, as it will clump up nicely as it cools down.
Break up the granola with your hands or a wooden spoon, and when it’s entirely cooled down you can store it in airtight containers in your cupboard. You can freeze it as well!
Enjoy with some ice cold milk or your favourite milk alternative on a lovely summer morning! Perfect before a workout or run, so you get to use all that energy.
I would love to see your granola! What nuts did you use? Share your result with me on Instagram and tag @TheFromScratchBody and hashtag #TheFromScratchBody so I don’t miss it!
