Granola is usually considered a healthy breakfast cereal, trust me; if you are on the road towards a 'healthy you' or changing your lifestyle for better, then this sure is at the top of the list of foods you need to have them prepared ;).
So, in general granola is a toasted mixture of rolled oats, nuts, and a sweetener like sugar or honey, though it can also include other grains, such as puffed rice, dried fruit, seeds, spices, and nut butters. Yet, some ingredients — such as chocolate, oils, and syrups — may be high in added sugars and fats - but not this one ;)
Always avoid buying sugary food from the shop and rather prepare it on your own. This one is one of the best recipes for granola, yet so simple and easy to make. This is my 'very best granola' - get ready ;)
With homemade granola, you can,
- Improve blood pressure.
- High fiber ingredients like oats and flax seeds have been shown to help reduce blood pressure
- Reduce cholesterol levels
- Reduce blood sugar
- Improve gut health
- Provide many antioxidants to your body
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
- 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 2 spoons of each of the chosen seeds - in video i have used pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and added a bit of ground hemps seeds).
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (I use salt straight from the salt grinder)
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (if you do not really love the cinnamon as much as I do, use half of it ;))
- 3 spoons of melted coconut oil (sometimes I use olive oil instead)
- ½ cup of raw honey
- ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used mix of dried fruit - dried cranberries, raisins, bananas chunks, candied fruit)
(*Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes).
Simple instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180° degrees Celsius and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
- Pour in the honey and mix
- Add coconut oil
- Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated.
- Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer
Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
- Half way through I have used a bit of almond seed flakes (I like to add them in half way through as I do not like them burned ;))
- Once done, let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes)
- Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using).
- Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.
Store the granola in an airtight container (I use a glass container for all of mu oats and seeds ;)) at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
You can serve granola with natural yogurt, with fresh fruit and whey, add it to your smoothies, etc.
Enjoy.
Until next time, S.
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