This healthy granola is wonderfully easy to make – it takes only 10 minutes of prep and will store in an air-tight container for up to a year!
It’s been almost two years since store-bought granola disappeared from my cupboards and there are 2 good reasons for it.
First, the conventional one is full of sugar and additives while a “fancy, wholesome, organic” one costs an arm and a leg and…is often still full of sugar.
The second reason – I found my own perfect granola formula. It doesn’t require any sugar thanks to the natural sweetness of coconut oil and raisins (although I added recipe modification for those who like it sweeter). A great bonus – it takes less time to make it than to read through all of the granola labels in a store.
The great thing about this healthy granola recipe is that it’s customizable. you can swap almonds for pecans, add spices like cinnamon or allspice.
My favorite mix-ins (after you pull your granola out of the oven) are:
- Chia seeds (for extra Omega 3 boost)
- Hemp seeds
- Dried cherries
- Sesame seeds
- Dark chocolate chunks
Ingredients
Granola
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup slivered almonds or shelled hazelnuts
- ½ cup raw pepitas
- 1 cup raisins or dried cherries (I prefer cherries but they are not easy to find nowadays)
- Zest of ½ orange
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt.
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple or topinambur syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix oats, almonds, pepitas, oil, syrup, zest, vanilla and salt until dry ingredients are fully covered with oil and syrup. Spread your mixture over the baking sheet so it's a little crowded but forms a thin uniform layer. (If you are using a half-sheet you will need to bake it in two batches)
- Bake for 8 minutes, then mix in a baking sheet so pieces and bits from the bottom get on top and vice-versa. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top and bake for another 8 min or until golden-brown (all ovens are different, so yours might take a little less or more time - keep an eye not to burn).
- Once done, mix in raisins and let the granola cool completely before transferring it to a storage container.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temp for up to a year (ours is usually gone in 5 days or so).
