Making your own granola at home is so satisfying and economical. There aren’t too many granolas on the market that I really like and I much prefer making my own. The last bag I purchased was ten bucks; you can make a lot of granola for ten dollars! And you can control the amount and type of sugar used, and even make it without grains like these two recipes here. I’m not against all grains but I know some people don’t tolerate them well. I rarely make the same batch twice because I end up using all my leftover nuts and seeds along with the fruit I have on hand. I couldn’t decide which recipe to post so I thought I’d leave you with two of my favorites.
The first is a chewy, dried apple cinnamon flavor – nothing super fancy but darn tasty…almonds, coconut flakes, hemp hearts, hmm what else, oh yes cashews, a touch of coconut oil and honey. My husband’s been eating it on his vanilla ice-cream while I’m enjoying the chocolate strawberry version on my favorite Coyo yogurt. I used walnuts and maple syrup and left out the coconut. The freeze-dried strawberries really take it over the top as a perfect compliment to chocolate. Both are nutrient dense and grain-free, but you absolutely can add some oats to these recipes and they would be just as delicious. What are your favorite ways to enjoy granola?
- 1 c slivered almonds
- 1 c chopped cashews
- ½ c coconut chips
- ½ c hemp seeds
- ½ c sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbl cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 c chopped dried apples
- 2 Tbl melted coconut oil
- ¼ c honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 c chopped walnuts
- 1 c slivered almonds
- ½ c hemp seeds
- ½ c sunflower seeds
- ¼ c cacao or cocoa
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbl melted coconut oil
- ¼ - ½ maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ c freeze-dried strawberries, add after the granola is cooked
- For both recipes:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.
- Add wet to the dry and stir until everything is nicely coated.
- Spread the granola evenly on the pan and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Cool and store in airtight jars.
- Adjust your sweet level for both recipes. I thought the chocolate granola needed more maple syrup to bring out the flavor of the chocolate.
- You can definitely swap out some of these ingredients with your favorite nuts/fruits. Pecans work really well.
- For the chocolate recipe, add the strawberries after it's baked.