The BEST crunchy granola is made with some special ingredients to make this perfect healthy and yet delicious snack!
Healthy Snack or meal!
When I started gluten free cooking, I missed things like granola. So did my hubby! Well it turns out that making your own granola is super easy, and one hundred times tastier!
I love making things in my home that can both be a snack and a meal. Granola is one of those! Its great as a snack, but also makes a great breakfast on some homemade yogurt and honey, or with a bowl milk as a high protein cereal.
Another great thing about this granola is that it is naturally sweetened!
When you buy even the really healthy and clean granolas at the store, if you read the labels they still have sugar listed in the ingredients.
You do indeed need some kind of a sugar to make homemade granola, but when you are at home you can use more natural sweetners like honey or maple syrup!
Sugars like honey, maple syrup, date syrup and molasses are my favorite naturally sweeteners to use. I talk a little bit more about how to switch over your use of processed sugars to more natural sugars in my ebook Sugar Detox Tips 21 Small Steps to eliminating processed sugars. Grab your FREE copy below.
Use what you have
The best thing about making homemade granola is that you can make it catered to your preferences and to what you have in your cupboard!
The first few times I made this I didn’t go out and specifically buy ingredients to make it, I used what ever I had. In that first batch of homemade granola I used, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Then the next time I had some coconut flakes that I threw in.
You can make it with dried fruit, or without fruit. Add chopped nuts, or omit them all together! You can use spices to make it more flavorful. So many options await you!
The BEST Crunchy Granola Recipe
2.25 cups of rolled old fashion oats
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
2 cups chopped nuts ( I had whole nuts and pulsed them in a food processor to get chopped nuts)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
A pinch of finely ground salt.
1 – 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Measure out oatmeal, nuts and coconut flakes into a large mixing bowl.
On the stove heat a skillet and melt coconut oil and honey.
Pour honey and oil mixture into the oatmeal, nuts and coconut flake mixture a little at a time. Until it is all incorporated.
Pour in vanilla and stir.
Sprinkle in ground cinnamon and stir.
Spread out granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Stirring every halfway through the baking time.
** Keep an eye on it towards the end so that it doesn’t burn.
Allow the granola to cool on the tray for about 10-15 minutes. This is crucial step to allowing it to harden and get crispy.
Break it into clumps and store it in an air tight container.
What is the secret to the BEST crunchy granola?
When I made granola for the first time it was more like slightly toasted oatmeal. Good and definitely soft but not that classic granola crunch we all love.
This is something that took me a little longer to discover. But after a few successful rounds of making it a certain way, I have found the ticket to the crunch!
The secret it a combination of coconut oil, honey and the cooling time.
The oil you choose to use will determine how well it is roasted (see below). The honey, gives it a great caramelization. Finally the cooling time allows it to harden well. In my experience this is the perfect trifecta for the best crunchy granola.
Can you use different oils?
Yes and no. In my experience oils like olive oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable and canola don’t roast as well as avocado or coconut oil. Since that is what you are doing, roasting this mixture you want an oil that will roast and crisp something really well. In my experience, coconut oil and avocado oils are the BEST roasting oils.
So yes, you can if you are in a pinch, but if you are going for a great crunch, no. Coconut or avocado oils are the best.
Ingredients for granola
As mentioned above there are so many options for making great granola combinations! Here are a few options to consider:
chia seeds
flaxseeds
quinoa
nuts
dried fruit
coconut flakes
sunflower seeds
chocolate chunks
cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice.
Dried Fruit
If you like dried fruit in your granola consider my Pro tip. Add dried fruit after you roast the granola. If roasted they
become EXTREMELY chewy.
My other naturally sweetened recipes:
As always here is a printable recipe card for you!
The BEST Crunchy Granola
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups of rolled old fashion oats
- 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 cups chopped nuts I had whole nuts and pulsed them in a food processor to get chopped nuts
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- A pinch of finely ground salt.
- 1 – 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Measure out oatmeal, nuts and coconut flakes into a large mixing bowl.
- On the stove heat a skillet and melt coconut oil and honey.
- Pour honey and oil mixture into the oatmeal, nuts and coconut flake mixture a little at a time. Until it is all incorporated.
- Pour in vanilla and stir.
- Sprinkle in ground cinnamon and stir.
- Spread out granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Stirring every halfway through the baking time.
- Allow the granola to cool on the tray for about 10-15 minutes. This is crucial step to allowing it to harden and get crispy.
- Break it into clumps and store it in an air tight container.
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