The other day, I wanted some granola to sprinkle on top of an açaí bowl, but I didn’t have any. I did, however, have the INGREDIENTS for granola 😉 and that’s when I started on this batch that made my house smell like a candy factory. And besides just smelling great, it tasted even better!
So I’m excited to share this recipe with you so you too can partake in this ‘homemade is better’ party that I’m currently raging at. Making homemade granola is not difficult in the slightest, can definitely save some money, and allows you to be very creative based on what ingredients you have.
And homemade granola is generally better for you than store-bought granola. Here’s why:
Often times, conventional granola at the store is sweetened with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and made with unhealthy oils like hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats, or canola oil, which is primarily genetically modified if not organic. It also may contain soy or soy products, which are also usually genetically modified and over-consumed in general in the United States. Soy has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor by interfering with normal hormone function in the body, and it may also disrupt the function of thyroid. By making your own granola, you can be sure to keep ingredients like the ones listed above out of the food you eat and choose more wholesome options like the ones used in this recipe.
*There are good brands of granola out there made from good whole foods, but they tend to be a little pricey. I never really buy them at the store unless they go on sale. Plus, most people have a lot of the ingredients for granola already anyway so you don’t need to go out and buy everything just to make a homemade batch.
Next time I make this, I’m doubling the recipe. I couldn’t stop myself from eating the granola mixture (above) before placing it into the oven. I could just munch on that all by itself like nobody’s business! I like the recipe raw just as much as cooked so I got to thinking of different ways to use this recipe, besides just baking it into granola, and here are some of my thoughts:
- Fall weather is starting to set in here in Michigan, and that means apples are a-comin’! This recipe would be great as an apple crumble for the top of an apple crisp. Place over a bed of thinly sliced cored apples that are covered in freshly squeezed lemon juice, cinnamon, and allspice. I would add about 1/4 cup of melted butter or another 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil to the recipe below, and then bake the apple crisp at 350° for about 45 minutes.
- Mold the mixture into little oatmeal cookie balls that you can pop in your mouth if you have a little sweet craving.
- Sprinkle the mixture over a bed of fresh fruit or over banana ice cream for another treat.
- 2 cups oats
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- ⅓ cup chopped almonds
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 8 pitted soaked medjool dates, chopped
- 2 tbsp. of the date water
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
- Preheat the oven at 300°.
- Pit and soak the dates in filtered water for about 15 minutes. Save 2 tbsp. of the water.
- Combine the dry ingredients and mix together.
- Combine the wet ingredients and mix together.
- Combine the wet and dry mixtures together and mix thoroughly. I used my hands to mash everything together at the end.
- Spread granola out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring about every fifteen minutes until the oats are golden.
What other variations of granola have you made and loved?