A healthy snack on-the-go that you can give yourself a pat on the back for.
Home made granola really blew our minds on how easy, simple, versatile and delicious it was( and relatively inexpensive)! And high in fiber! :D
The great thing is....is that once you have the basics, you can really make some many different kinds of granola! You can add whatever nuts, oats, grains, fruit, seeds, chips, etc, etc! Ours has dominate flavors of Banana Pecan( Add more ripe banana), but if that's not tickling your taste buds, than you can make many other flavors!
Here are some ideas:
Tropical granola with macadamia, shredded coconut and dried pineapple
Banana, Pecan and Flax
Berry Almond Granola with Strawberries, Blueberries, Almonds and Chia Seeds
Dark Chocolate Chip/Carob and Hazelnut
Salty Sesame Seed, Pepitas, Peanut with Maple
Chopped Pistachio, Cranberry and Yogurt Chips
And you can eat it as it is, top your parfaits, fruit gratins, make it your cereal ...or seriously do whatever you want with it! Ours just so happens to be gluten-free, and you can make it vegan by subbing the honey for agave nectar (or any other sweetener you like) or a really good maple syrup. If you want an even heartier mix, wheat germ or bran can be added. Make it yours.
Here we simply just had a bowl of cut apples and pears, and topped it with our granola and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon. Then had it swimming in some Silk unsweetened, vanilla almond milk.
But hey, don't just take our word for it. Try it yourself.
The DEETS:
(Makes about 5 cups)
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (you can also mix this with quick oats as well)
- 1 cup of nuts of choice (we used chopped pecans, but try almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios,walnuts macadamia,..)
- 1 ripe banana, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (depends on how sweet you want it)
- 2 tablespoons of olive, canola or coconut oil (depends on favor)
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cups raisin
- 2 tbsp of flax seeds (you can use seasame seeds, sunflower seeds...)
1.) Preheat the oven to 325F
2.) On a cookie sheet, combine your oats, nuts and seeds
3.) In a seperate bowl, mash the banana well and add the 3 tbsp of honey(, agave or syrup), oil, and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. (You can add it to a blender if needed)
4.) Drizzle over your oat mixture and mix with your hands until everything is thoroughly coated!
5.) Bake for about 45 minutes(or until lightly coated), stirring 1-3 times between. If you want your granola a little sweeter, you can drizzle honey/agave/syrup on top of your oats between each stirring.
6.) Remove from the oven and stir in raisins( or whatever dried fruit you would like). Let it cool completely after and store it in an air tight container...after you enjoy some first:).
Just use your intuition and happy creating! Don't forget to share your granola mixes with us!
Best,
Salt and Cinny
