I’m not one for being unfair, so here it is, my mouth still watering from the fresh mango, blueberries, homemade kefir & my famous crunchy granola this morning.
Those who know me well, or have had the joy of being at my place for breakfast, know me for my homemade granola topped with fresh fruit and berries. For me, it started years ago as a quest to find a crunchy delicious granola that was NOT loaded with sugar. I found most, if not all, of the brand’s at the store included outrageous amounts of sugar as well as a few ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce (no thanks!). Through years of experimenting on my poor husband, I have found my one and only go-to granola recipe that we use on a weekly basis.
Full disclosure, yes there is still sweetener in my recipe. Not much, but some. The truth is that in order to get that amazing crunch you need some of that sticky goodness to keep those clumps together.
I always make a double batch of this recipe and keep it in an airtight container for weeks without it going bad. This recipe is so easy to make & if you double it up, it will last for a long time for the same amount of work & time on your part. Don’t be turned off by the long list of ingredients, you probably already have them in your pantry. And if not they are easy to find in any grocery store.
Summer Sunshine Crunchy Granola
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups rolled oats (any grains work: rye flakes, spelt flakes, buckwheat groats, kamut flakes, regular oats, steel cut oats…)
¾ cup chopped raw almonds
½ cup chopped raw walnuts
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup raw sesame seeds
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, kiwi, papaya, goji…)
½ cup maple syrup or honey
½ cup coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
Rules of creation:
- Heat oven to 225 F
- In a large bowl mix oats, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, dry fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, & gloves.
- In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil, honey, & vanilla together until blended.
- Pour wet mixture into the oat mix & stir until evenly blended
- Spread evenly on a large baking sheet & bake for 1 hour. I take mine out after 30 minutes & give it a little mix around then put it back in.
- Cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a large bowl or container to finish cooling completely. If you leave it on the pan too long it will be hard to break off. Do not seal the container until the granola is fully cooled or else it will lose it’s crunch (oh no!)
New to the world of granola & wondering how to put it all together?
Favorite toppings:
- Mango & blueberries
- Strawberry & kiwi
- Banana
- Peanut butter
- Raspberries
- Apple & Orange
- Splash of kefir or yogurt
- Splash of homemade coconut or almond milk
- Blend frozen strawberries & bananas as a smoothie base and top with granola
Please share your favourite toppings & combinations below, I’d love to hear them!
Love & Granola,
Dani