I started making my own granola when I realized how much money I was spending to buy it at my local natural foods store. $8 for a little container? Ouch! But the price wasn’t the only deterrent. There’s also the undesirable ingredients you find in many commercially prepared granolas — too much sugar and refined or hydrogenated oils, just for starters. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make from scratch and best of all, you can make it exactly the way you want it. Although I wouldn’t consider it to be “health food,” homemade granola beats processed cereals any day and is as “instant” as breakfast can get. This has come in handy when daughter #1 spends much too much time straightening her hair and is late for school. I just put a hefty scoop of whole, unsweetened yogurt in a cup and layer granola with or without fresh fruit and that’s a decent breakfast to go.
I make granola every two weeks and keep it in an airtight glass container in the pantry where it stays perfectly crispy. We not only eat it with the obvious yogurt and fresh fruit, but we love it mixed into smoothies, on acai bowls, sprinkled on pancakes or creamy oatmeal, or as a crunchy dip for bananas rolled in nut butter. As for me, sometimes I’m looking for something sweet without actually eating sweets and a handful of granola is a quick and satisfying snack. I can’t tell you how many times I have opted to bring a glass jar of this granola to a friend’s house as a hostess gift instead of a candle.
The first time I made granola I burned it because I kept expecting the oat mixture to get dry and crunchy in the oven. No, no. The oats remain soft until they are removed from the heat and are allowed to cool at room temperature. Judge the granola by its color, which should change to be a nice toasty, golden brown. The key here is to mix the syrups and oil until completely blended before combining it with the oat mixture. If you don’t, the syrups can burn. Also note that the dried fruit is added after the oats come out of the oven. If you bake them, they’ll harden and taste burnt (ask me how I know this.) The wonderful thing about granola is that you can use whatever nuts, seeds and dried fruit you like.
If my kids are reading this, what I would like is a little bowl of granola with fresh berries and sheep yogurt delivered to my bed on Sunday morning with a cup of Tulsi tea and absolutely, positively no bickering all day long. Ahhhhhh……. Happy Mother’s Day to all my students, readers, friends and family, and of course, to my mother-in-law and my mother.
Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, not instant or quick-cooking*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, dried coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 raw sunflower seeds
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, optional; sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 cup melted unrefined coconut oil
- 1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raw almonds, in California, you can buy truly raw almonds if purchased directly from the farmer, in the stores it may say "raw," but they have likely been pasteurized or steamed or walnuts or pecans or a combo
- 1 cup unsweetened, unsulphured dried fruit, chopped if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a large bowl stir together the oats, coconut flakes, seeds, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, brown rice syrup and vanilla. It is really important to mix the oil and syrups so that everything is well blended otherwise the syrups may burn. Add the oil and syrup mixture to the oats and stir to coat well.
- Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes (ovens vary), stirring occasionally until golden brown. The mixture will not be crunchy yet. Add the chopped nuts and dried fruit to the pan and allow to cool. Transfer granola to an airtight container and store at room temperature or freeze.
Notes
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Love this easy, healthy recipe so much. I’ve made it several times and will NEVER buy ready made granola again. There are so many possibilities of delicious add ins that you’ve made my eyes open to in this recipe (like adding flax seeds instead of sesame seeds, if that’s what I have on hand).
Do you know how I could make granola bars, using your recipe? I’d love to eliminate buying those expensive, way too sweet ones from the store and make home-made ones for my family. Thank you, Pamela!
SO glad you love it. It has been a staple in my kitchen for over 10 years! You should try this granola bar recipe: https://pamelasalzman.com/granola-bars/
Thank you so much. I cannot wait to try this! Let’s see what I have on hand….all the possibilities of deliciousness! Perhaps even some dark chocolate chips…
Yes! Use this as a formula and mix and match ingredients. 🙂
I made this granola for everyone on the planet this holiday season. At least 8 batches. It was so fast, easy and delicious! Thank you as always!
You made more than I did!! That’s impressive!!
I actually made 2 more batches to take to a New Years Eve party for the host and some for my mom. Everyone just loves it!
you’re like a granola-factory! 🙂
Can you double this recipe and bake on 2 baking sheets?
Yes! Do not double and bake on one baking sheet.
Last week was teacher appreciation week at my son’s school and I decided to bring his teacher breakfast one morning. I made this delicious granola and made her a parfait with yogurt and berries and the granola. Of course she loved it. Then, the 2nd grade room moms made breakfast one morning for the 2nd grade team and I brought berries, yogurt and made another batch of this granola. There was some granola left over and I gave it to two of my friends. I saw my one friend yesterday and she told me her son said I could be famous with this granola. Ha! He said it was so good that I should sell it! So thank you for making me famous in the eyes of a 10 year old. 🙂 I also gave a jar to my son’s teacher and she said that night she was at school late and she keep grabbing a handful of it. It was so good she said that she just couldn’t stop eating it. You could say I will definitely be adding this to my list of regular menu items. Thank you once again…
You are a star! What a wonderful gesture to make such a tasty and healthful treat for so many. Homemade granola is my go-to gift from the kitchen and it never fails to please!
I realized last night that tonight are my kid’s last catechism class and I did not do anything for the teachers. I raced home after drop off and errands today and made granola for them. Thank goodness for you and your great ideas! 🙂
Monica, you must be the most popular mom in town!
I don’t know about being the most popular mom in town but if you have been kind to my children and every teacher we have had for church or school has been so far, I just want them to know their hard work does not go unnoticed. We go to school outside of our district and I want to stay in this district so I help as much as I can.
Lovely sentiment, Monica 🙂
Is it ok to make this recipe with pumpkin seeds, sunflowers seeds and sesame seeds (no almonds) for a nut free school luncheon?
Absolutely fine!
I just made granola following your recipe and it was awesome! Even my sons said so! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Jeannie, thanks so much for writing in. We never get sick of this granola and I’ve been making it regularly for many years. Hope you continue to enjoy it!
I love homemade granola! I package it in quart canning jars and tuck it into Christmas gift baskets every year. This year I made cherry almond (with dried cherries, divine) and pumpkin spice. For the pumpkin I dried some puree in my food dehydrator and then whizzed it in the Magic Bullet until it was a powder, then added that to the recipe. I also like to stir the powder into my oatmeal on chilly mornings.
You are my hero. Really? You dehydrated pumpkin and turned it into a powder? I would pin that idea if I could! Thanks, Rosey!
This has become a staple in our house. Yum! Question – is it okay to use raw honey instead of regular? (I used to use brown rice syrup until I read it might contain arsenic)
I’m glad you like the granola. It’s a total staple in my house, too. You can definitely use raw honey. Although, the jury’s still out on the arsenic scandal. When the arsenic in question is naturally occurring in the earth, our bodies don’t absorb it. The problem is when the plant, such as rice, absorbs inorganic arsenic from pesticides in the soil from long ago. That kind of arsenic is what we want to avoid. The study that came out about brown rice syrup didn’t clarify that most of the arsenic was organic (naturally occurring). Fruits and vegetables also contain organic arsenic and there is evidence to support the notion that conventionally grown produce is more toxic than the arsenic in brown rice syrup. You can read more on the Lundberg site http://www.lundberg.com/Info/Arsenic.aspx
Thanks for the great info! I hate to be an alarmist but, sometimes, I just don’t have time to research after hearing something negative so I just cut it out until further notice. : / Back to honey… when you substitute raw for liquid do you use the same amount? It seems more concentrated so I’ve been curious..
Trust me, I was all over that arsenic-rice report! I always sub raw for heated/pasteurized honey one-for-one, but the raw honey I buy from the farmer’s market is liquid, i.e. it has not crystallized yet. If you buy honey that is raw, but a little older and it’s firmer, just put the jar in another container with warm water to melt it a little. In the case of the granola, I would melt the honey with the coconut oil so they can be blended together easily. I hope that makes sense!
I am making this for everyone this holiday season — on my second batch now and not slowing down. Can you tell me how to make clusters — is it dependent on rice syrup or maple syrup? or cooking time?
Seriously — this is my favorite homemade food gift! You can get more clumps with more sweetener and don’t spread it out so much.
I love this granola! It is the best I have tried… I will be making it again very soon….thanks for the recipe…
I love it, too. Thanks for the feedback, Ellen!