Homemade Granola

Summer means vacation, planning for additional classes, good bye to gym and welcome few extra pounds :) Even though I don't like to see summer ending but have to accept the change with a smile. Here is the simple change you can do at home instead of buying granola.  Store bought granola is high in sugar, unhealthy fats and oils. Making granola at home is super easy, quick and you can control the quality,quantity of ingredients and the flavors. 

For any type of granola only 3 main ingredients. Oats, Oil and sweetener

Oats are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.  It is better to use rolled oats than instant oats. Instant oats means highly processed. So try to buy whole oats

Oil- I prefer to use vegetable or canola or sunflower oil. I keep reading about using coconut oil to be more healthy but I never tried till now. I am just little skeptical about the taste using coconut oil. Next time I will try a small batch and see how it tastes. 

Sweetener: Always use raw ingredients to make it healthy.  Most of the granola recipes call for honey. You can either use honey or maple syrup. Make sure you use Organic honey or Organic Maple syrup. You can even substitute with Agave. Always be low on sweetness. 

Use the basic ingredients and add any type of healthy ingredients as per your taste. Be creative in your flavors. 

Here is the recipe which I used today

I made two varieties today. One with nuts and another one nut free.  

Ingredients:

6 cups of rolled oats 

1/4 cup of oil 

1/3 cup of Organic Honey/Grade b Maple Syrup/ Local honey/ Agave

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tbsp flax seeds (optional)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup of chopped nuts ( I used walnuts and pecans)

1/4 cup of dried fruits ( I used cranberries and cherries)

Process:

Pre heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit

grease two baking sheets using oil or use parchment paper

In a large bowl add oil,honey,spices and mix well

Add oats, coconut to the oil mixture and mix well either using clean hands or spatula. Make sure oats are coated well with oil mix.

At this point I made the mixture into two parts. One part I added chopped nuts and mixed well. 

Spread the mixture in the prepared pans evenly in a thin layer. Bake for 15 mts or until the mixture turns into gold color. Make sure you stir the mixture for every 5 mts or else the granola will be burnt on one side.   Once granola turns into golden color remove from oven and allow it cool stirring occasionally. (Stirring helps to keep the heat distributed evenly)

Now add dried fruits to the cool mixture.  Store the cooled granola in airtight container. 

Serve with unsweetened milk or greek yogurt.