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Home ยป The BEST Crunchy Granola

The BEST Crunchy Granola

January 7, 2022 by Alyssa Johns Leave a Comment

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The BEST crunchy granola is made with some special ingredients to make this perfect healthy and yet delicious snack!

close up of crunchy granola in big jars

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.

crunchy granola spilling out of a jar laying on table

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!

close up of crunchy granola in big jars

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.

close up fo crunchy granola spilling out of a jar on a table

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.

close up of crunchy granola in big jars

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:

Protein Peanut Butter Cookies

Naturally Sweetened Lemonade

As always here is a printable recipe card for you!

Print Recipe

The BEST Crunchy Granola

Prep Time7 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Cooling Time10 mins
Total Time47 mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crunchy granola, granola, Healthy, Homemade, Naturally Sweetened, snacks
Servings: 4 Snacks

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.

Have you ever made homemade granola? If so, what has worked well for you?

Filed Under: Gluten Free/Dairy Free, Homemade Recipes Tagged With: Cooking from scratch, Gluten Free, naturally sweetened, snacks

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Welcome! I am Alyssa.

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Thank you so much for visiting us at our Harbor Home where we believe you can make your home, healthy, welcoming and simply beautiful no matter where home is. Follow along for inspiration on cooking from scratch, hospitality and simple living.

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