Sarah's Homemade Granola
My Mom said to me last weekend that she was hoping for a recipe in my last blog. I groaned and said ya I know, but I am not much of a recipe follower. When I cook I usually just throw things together and hope for the best, most of the time it does work out in my favour. So, the recipe I am about to share is more instructional rather than a recipe to follow verbatim. It is crazy what the stores are selling for some oats in the store for!! Why not make your own? We have the time and it can occupy the kids for a bit!
Preheat your oven for 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Spread your oats (large flake, not the quick cook ones) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. How much you ask? I like to do this only now and again so I do lots at once!!! Say about 3-4 cups.
Put the oats in the oven for 30 minutes
Meanwhile gather all the seeds, nuts, dried fruit you have and want in your granola. You can customize this to suit your tastes. I put everything in my granola (almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, chia, coconut, raisins, pumpkin seeds etc)
Once the oats have been toasted for 30 minutes. Turn up your temperature to 350F and add in any harder nut like whole almonds, or raw pumpkin seeds. Continue toasting for 15 minutes
Meanwhile get your sweetener of choice, this can be maple syrup (my go to), honey, coconut sugar any healthier sweetener. Please refrain from using any processed sugars, white or brown sugar. Also your fat of choice, this can be a good quality cooking olive oil, or coconut oil (my go to) .
Melt both your sugar and fat. I don’t like a really sweet granola so I only add in about 1/3 cup of maple syrup for the whole batch, add in the same ratio of your fat .
Combine and mix well the oats, nuts and your melted sweetener and fat. I add a ton of cinnamon now and the remaining nuts/seeds. If you are using coconut, chia, dried fruit or any other more delicate/easy to scorch ingredients wait until the very end to add in.
Toast for another 15 minutes. Check periodically and stir on your granola to make sure the edges aren’t well done!
Add in your delicate stuff, chia, sesame seeds, coconut or raisins/dried fruit
Turn your oven off but allow the granola to cool inside with the door slightly ajar. Double check once in awhile that your granola isn’t getting burnt.
Allow to cool completely and store in an air tight jar
Enjoy!!
The health benefits of having homemade granola is quite impressive.
Oats:
Complex Carbohydrates: will maintain even energy release and keep you going all morning without feeling heavy and lethargic.
Have 10-15% protein
High in fibre, which is so important for digestion
A good mix of the B vitamins which are essential for many metabolic functions including stress management, metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, brain function and many others
Also in good amounts iron, essential for the formation of hemoglobin,
Oats have a good amount of Magnesium which is involved in several hundred enzymatic reactions
Zinc is very important in maintaining a healthy immunity, wound healing and many others
Nuts/Seeds: there are so many health benefits but mainly these guys are a fantastic source of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, protein, many minerals and a good selection of the B vitamins.
Enjoy your granola!!
Best,
Sarah
XXX
