Easy Granola Recipe

Want to have a quick and easy breakfast that works as an energy booster for the rest of the day? The sweet, crispy, crunchy, easy homemade granola recipe is a top-notch dessert and compliments well with any sweet dish you want to eat! 

To make the granola more interesting, toss it in your breakfast cereal, yogurt, bread, cakes, cookies, etc. My kids love the crispy effect and often want to enjoy this in their breakfast before going to school. It is a healthier alternative to store-bought cereal because I have prepared it with whole grains, and it’s naturally sweetened.  

The ingredients are easier to assemble, and you only need to stir the ingredients together and bake until golden. Try out my special homemade granola recipe today! 

When it comes to breakfast-making granola is a great way to enjoy a quick and healthy breakfast, it is perfect for long road trips because it keeps very well. Other delicious homemade breakfast recipes are Gluten-Free Vegan Hash Browns, Vegan Tater Tots, Banana Porridge.

Easy Granola Recipe

I have been making this granola recipe for many years now, I recently taught the attendants of my recent cooking class how easy it is to make their own granola. It is incredibly delicious, free of added sugar, and literally melts in your mouth. 

Another thing I love about homemade granola, it is very versatile to make, you can add ingredients to your liking, you basically make it your own by the different, dried fruits, seeds, nuts you add. You can adjust or change the sweetener also.

Rolled Oats Health Benefits

Oat groats are the complete type of oats, and they take a long time to cook. Because of this, most people prefer crushed, rolled, or steel-cut oats. Diligently processed oats are known as instant oats. 

If they are cooked in a very short amount of time, the texture of the oats might become mushy. Oatmeal is made by boiling oats in milk or water, and it is very popular breakfast food. Granola bars, Muffins, cookies, and many baked items frequently utilize them.

Here are some important health benefits of oats that you should know:

Oats Are Rich in Antioxidants

Whole oats are full of antioxidants and polyphenols, which are helpful plant compounds. The most needed and helpful antioxidants are Avenanthramides, which are exclusively present in oats.

Avenanthramides can help reduce blood pressure by boosting nitric oxide synthesis. This antioxidant can aid in the dilation of blood arteries, resulting in improved blood flow.

They Have Powerful Soluble Fiber

Oats are rich in beta-glucan; this is a soluble fiber with many health advantages. It helps our body to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, enhance good gut bacteria, and make you feel fuller for the day.

Oats Can Control Cholesterol Levels

Globally, heart disease is the leading cause of people dying at a young age as high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor. The beta-glucan fiber in oats has been demonstrated in several tests to be beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol levels.

Beta-glucan has been shown to promote the excretion of high cholesterol bile, lowering blood cholesterol levels. Another critical phase in the development of heart disease is the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which happens when LDL combines with free radicals.

Improves Our Blood Sugar Control

Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent condition defined by very high blood sugar levels. It is frequently caused by a reduction in insulin sensitivity in our bodies. Oats can assist persons with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels.

Can Help Us Lose Weight

Oatmeal can aid weight loss by helping you feel more satisfied after every meal. It accomplishes this by delaying the stomach’s processes and raising the satiety hormone PYY’s production.

Oats Can Reduce the Risks of Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory condition that affects the airways, which are the tubes that convey air to and from the lungs. Although not all children have the same symptoms, many of them wheeze, cough, and have short breath issues on a regular basis.

According to a study, letting infants eat oats before the age of six months reduces the incidence of childhood asthma. Read more Oatmeal Benefits.

Ingredients For Homemade Granola

• Rolled Oats – i love to use gluten-free rolled oats. 
• Coconut Flakes – adds a nutty flavor and crunch to the granola.
• Ground Flaxseeds – you can purchase ground flaxseeds or better yet, buy whole flaxseeds and process them in a dry blender to make your own. Store in the refrigerator. 
• Sesame Seeds – adds calcium. 
• Maple syrup – substitute with your favorite sweetener.
• Coconut Oil – substitute with almond or cashew butter for an oil-free recipe. 
• Almond Extract – substitute with vanilla or cinnamon for flavor. 
• Vanilla Extract – adds amazing flavors.
• Salt – I used Himalayan pink salt.

For gluten-free granola, choose certified gluten-free oats, like Bob’s Red Mills. Although regular oats are gluten-free meaning oats don’t contain any gluten protein (gliadin) that is found in wheat.

However, oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, rye, and barley. Oats can become cross-contaminated with a trace amount of wheat. Make sure to purchase oatmeal that has certified gluten-free oatmeal written on the labels, this means the oats are processed in a facility that doesn’t process wheat, rye, or barley.

A minority of people in the general population are allergic to certified gluten-free oatmeal, it is believed that the avenin protein found in oatmeal is a cousin of gliadin protein found in wheat, this avenin protein is so closely related that it triggers the same allergic response as gluten.

For these people, it is best to avoid oats at all costs and substitute them with quinoa flakes or just make grain-free granola with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.

How To Make Granola?

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with greased parchment paper. In a large bowl combine oats, coconut flakes, flax seeds, sesame seeds.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, coconut flakes, flax seeds, sesame seeds.
3. Mix maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, vanilla, and salt. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
5. Spread on the baking sheet. Press down the granola with the palm of your hands firmly.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour turning every 15 minutes or Bake at 150 degrees F. for 6-8 hours.

Possible Add Ons for Homemade Granola

• Dried Food: Any type of dried food like dates, dried figs, apricot, almond, peanuts, walnuts, raisins, saffron, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, cherries, papaya. etc., will go perfectly with the granola. 
• Peanut butter: Feel free to add ¼ cup of peanut butter into the granola. 
• Flavorful Spices: Add some additional flavorful warming spices like cinnamon, cloves,  ground nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.    
• Seeds such as sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds.
• Nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts, pistachio, macadamia. 

How to Store Homemade Granola?

Whether the granola is homemade or store-bought properly, storing them will allow you to eat them whenever you want, maintain the crunchy effect and extend the shelf life. 

Store the granola in an airtight container or tightly sealed zip-top bag in a dry and dark place where the temperature is low and out of the heat. The ideal choice will be to put the granola in your pantry and kitchen cabinet. 

Serving Options for Homemade Granola

Granola is a magical mix of rolled oats, nutritional yeast flakes, seeds, nuts, and maple syrup. You can eat them as a snack, serve them beside dessert or mix them with your favorite baked goods. 

• Ice Cream: Consider enjoying the crunchy, sweet, and salty granola with the sweet, creamy, and any flavor of ice cream you prefer, (I love vegan vanilla ice cream). 
• Yogurt: A serving guide of granola will not be complete without adding coconut yogurt. You can enjoy this combination as a healthy full breakfast or as an afternoon snack booster. 
• Acai Bowl: Enjoy the fresh and fruity mixture with granola for extra crunch. This is a great way to pair amazing superfood ingredients with granola to have extra nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. 
• Baked Goods: One of the best ways to pair the granola is to eat them with baked goods. You can add granola to cookies, bread, cake, or muffins to get a crunchy effect.  
• Cereal: Have granola-like cereal with a little bit of almond milk on top. If you feel lazy or busy, this is a quick healthy breakfast option you can imagine. 

Avoid These Common Mistakes While Preparing Easy Homemade Granola

• Use Fat: If you are not using any type of fat while making granola, you will have a pile of dry oats and other ingredients. That is why coconut oil is necessary to give a toasty quality. 
• Choose Oats Wisely: The main ingredient of this dish is oats, and I mostly prefer rolled oats.  
• Choose Right Temperature: Slowly and steadily, preparing the granola will prevent them from getting burnt and dried. You can easily bake the granola to perfection at 300 and 350 degrees, but any hotter and you will risk burning. 
• Know When to Mix the Add Ons: Mostly, nuts and seeds can go straight into the raw mixture of the oats and other ingredients. To add dried fruits, wait for the granola to finish baking in the oven and toss in some as toppings.  

Quick Tips For Making The Best Granola Recipe

1. Press the granola down with the palm of your hands.
2. Don’t use water in your recipe, using just the oil and maple syrup results in a tender, crunchy melt in your mouth granola.
3. Use both almond and vanilla extracts or flavoring to prevent the almond flavor from being overpowering.
4. Substitute maple syrup with agave nectar.
5. It’s best to cook your oatmeal overnight at 150-170 degrees for tender, crunchy granola. 
6.  For an oil-free version, leave the oil out, substitute it with Aquafaba, water, applesauce, almond butter, cashew butter or add two tablespoons more of maple syrup and reduce the dried fruits.

Are Coconut Flakes Healthy?

It’s important to learn about the nutritional advantages of coconut flakes, whether you prefer coconut’s mild, nutty flavor as a snack in trail mix or toasted and added to your favorite dish. 

Flaked coconut is one of many dry and unsweetened coconut varieties. Its taste enhances a wide range of meals, including pastries, pies, soups, and shrimp dishes, while also providing essential vitamins and minerals.

It’s shaved into long, broad flakes that are thicker and more substantial than shredded or grated coconut. Coconut flakes are a wonderful source of manganese and other minerals and are a healthy addition to your diet. 

Here are some reasons why coconut flakes are healthy:

• Coconut flakes have dietary fiber, which keeps you fuller for a longer time and leads to weight loss.
• Fiber content from coconut flakes can also reduce your chances of high some cancers, cholesterol, heart disease, and other digestive problems.
• Antimicrobial properties from coconut flakes can prevent several oral infections.
• They can help stabilize our blood sugar levels.
• Manganese and antioxidants from them can assist our immune system in improving. 

Can I Substitute Rolled Oats with Quick Oats in Granola?

Yes! You can substitute rolled oats with quick oats, but the cooking time will vary, and the final dish will not have a similar texture. Rolled oats are commonly used for preparing baked goods like granola bars, muffins, cookies, and many more. 

How to Revive Stale Granola?

You can easily revive the soggy and chewy granola back to a yummy, crunchy texture, and the process is much easier. You need to spread the granola on the baking sheet in a single layer. Start reheating it in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

You may want to pile up the granola together, but you will not get the crunchy texture, so add the rest of the mixture in the second batch. Once the granola cools completely, it will have that crunchy and crispy effect.    

Other Oatmeal Recipes To Try

• Ultimate Oatmeal Burger
• Strawberry Oats Bars
• Strawberry Breakfast CakeVegan Gluten-Free
• Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
• Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage

If you enjoyed this post about the Easy Granola Recipe and would love to see more, join me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

Get discounted copies of my cookbook here.

Fortunately, because of the ads on our website, readers and subscribers of Healthier Steps are sponsoring many underprivileged families. Thank you!