DIFFICULTY: Easy
This is my go-to breakfast for those busy mornings when you don’t have much time preparing breakfast or just want to take a break from the kitchen and focus on the day ahead. I am a morning person and as soon as I open my eyes, my stomach is screaming – feed me! For me, the most satisfying way to quench this hunger is by starting my day with a healthy bowl of crunchy – salty-sweet granola. Although some people refer to it as bird food, I am still very happy to admit I then love starting my day with bird food. Hopefully, it will give me wings….
This is a granola recipe because it is baked and contains a form of natural sugar and oil that combines the ingredients together. So what is the difference then between granola and muesli? Both contain a combination of oats, nuts, seeds, and fruits but in short, muesli is the raw version and granola is the baked version.
The fun thing about making your own granola is you can follow a basic recipe and add a variety of nuts, seeds, fruits, and different grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth, etc. as you wish. The bonus for me is you can control the sugar content. Most store-bought granolas are loaded with refined sugar, which is totally unnecessary. With just a few easy steps you can have your cupboard stocked with a healthy convenient, and delicious breakfast.
Kitchen Notes:
- I like to add some chopped almonds, coconut flakes, and raisins in the last 5 – 10min but you can add your nuts and seeds raw or toasts them separately to assure you don’t burn them.
- The raisins get a bit chewy once exposed to heat – I like the texture but most people prefer to add dried fruit afterward.
You’ll need:
Basic ingredients:
- 500g rolled oats (preferably gluten-free and not instant)
- 60ml coconut oil
- 60ml honey or coconut sugar
- 10ml cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
I usually add:
- 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
- 1 cup flaked coconut (unsweetened)
- ½ cup raisins
Play around with the following ingredients:
- Extra flavor: vanilla bean, cardamom, nutmeg, lemon zest, cacao powder
- Nuts: cashews, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts
- Seeds: chia, sunflower, pumpkin flaxseeds, sesame
- Dried fruits: cranberries, goji berries, dates, figs, apricots, apple rings, dried banana
Let’s get started:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt oil and honey/sugar together.
- In a large bowl combine oats, cinnamon, and salt together.
- Pour melted oil and honey mixture over dry ingredients and stir well to coat.
- Spread all the ingredients out on a baking tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven and stir.
- Place back in the oven but remove and stir every 5 minutes or so until the oats are golden brown and crispy. This takes around 25 – 30 minutes depending on your oven.
- Keep a watchful eye on your granola mix while it is in the oven, you don’t want to burn them, and trust me it happens much quicker than you think. It is always a good thing to set a timer especially if you get easily distracted like me.
- Enjoy the amazing smell of baked granola.
Tried this recipe? Please share your experience, variations or results in the comments below!
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