If you are looking for a well-rounded breakfast food that is both versatile and easy to bake, look no further than granola made from scratch! Fresh, homemade granola tastes great and nourishes your body supremely well. It is a great food to stay healthy and energized.
Granola, like oatmeal, contains many essential fibers, vitamins, and minerals. Several important vitamins and minerals in granola include copper, manganese, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B and E. These nutrients are necessary to have in your diet, especially with the rise of fake foods and GMOs that don’t contain what your body really needs to stay healthy.
Necessary ingredients to use
On top of all of that, granola is one of the easiest breakfast meals you can make. All you need is a pan, granola, the necessary ingredients, and an oven. This recipe uses rolled oats, dried apples, applesauce, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, pecans, and walnuts as the primary ingredients. These ingredients come nicely together to give you a fulfilling sense of nourishment throughout your day. Walnuts and seeds contain omega-3s, which are healthy unsaturated fats that aid in brain development. This benefit is further enhanced by the dried fruits and oats that contain insoluble fibers, which help your body digest food and absorb nutrients better.
It is also important to use a bonding agent and a sweetener for this recipe. Unrefined coconut oil gives the granola a good texture and is almost always healthier than most other oils. It is the best oil to use, but extra-virgin olive oil also works well, even though its taste may be a bit of a hindrance to your granola.
A good sweetener to use for your granola if you want it to stay on the healthy side is honey. Honey, especially the types that have no additional sugar, could be the best sweetener for this recipe. It really helps every ingredient of the granola stick together even better. The only other alternative is maple syrup, which tastes absolutely delicious, but if it isn’t pure, it probably will contain lots of unnecessary sugars. If you plan on using maple syrup, use ingredients that work well with it such as sliced bananas or cinnamon spice.
Other than these necessary ingredients, you may use whatever you feel like using. If you need some inspiration, there will be additional mix-in ideas underneath the recipe for your convenience.
Homemade Granola With Apples, Cranberries, and Nuts
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet recommended size:15" x 10" x 1"
- parchment paper
- spoon for strirring
- whisk
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- 3½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped dried apples
- 1½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 cup walnuts and pecans or any other combination of nuts
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds and flax seeds sunflower seeds optional
- ¾ cup applesauce should be warmed before using
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup volume limit for any additional ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C). Grab a large baking sheet (anywhere around 15” x 10” x 1” is recommended) and line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the oil, honey, applesauce (warmed), cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
- Add the oats in and stir until everything is evenly combined. The oat mixture will then be placed in the oven afterward-if you want to toast your nuts and seeds with the oats, add them in as well.
- Spread out your oat and honey mixture on the prepared baking sheet. It should be enough to coat the entire pan. If not, simply add more oats.
- Place the baking sheet in your oven. Bake for 20 minutes and stir the mixture halfway through. Bake until the oats turn golden-brown. If it is not finished yet after 20 minutes, bake for another 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Before the pan cools, add the cranberries, apples, the rest of the nuts and seeds, and any optional ingredients you want to use. Pat the ingredients into the granola with your hand or spoon.
- Wait until the pan cools down and serve the granola in dishes or cups.
How to store your homemade granola
Homemade granola should never be refrigerated since this will make the granola soggy. The goal of having fresh, oven-baked granola is to keep it toasty and crispy, and refrigeration allows cold air to condense onto your creation.
Instead, allow the granola to cool completely to room temperature (if it has just left the oven). Then, store it in an airtight container and place it in a dark and cool area of your pantry. It will stay good for up to 6 months under normal room temperature.
Your homemade granola can be frozen as well. For freezing, place your granola in an airtight freezer container and place it in the freezer. It can last as long as it usually does in room temperature (6 months), but you should eat it within 3 months for the best quality.
