I want to share my granola recipe with you today. You would think that making granola would be simple enough; but actually, it has taken me some time to finally come up with a recipe that is exactly what we wanted. And this recipe is just that! It has enough crunch without being hard. It is lightly sweetened with honey, a great sugar choice. And the fat in it is a really healthy fat- coconut oil.
Now that I’ve found exactly what we were looking for in a granola, I make this recipe all the time. Sometimes I switch up the nuts from almonds to walnuts. And sometimes I stir raisins into the warm granola after it is done baking. Other than that, we love this granola exactly as it is.
I feel like granola gets a bad rap sometimes because it always seems to be on one of those “healthy foods that aren’t really healthy” kind of lists that you see around the internet from time to time. But I don’t think that is true. I think granola is a great addition to your diet. And by “diet” I mean the food that you regularly eat, not a food restriction. I really dislike that this word as been robbed of it’s original meaning and now whenever you hear the word, you probably think of calorie reduction. But, that’s another subject for another time. ?
Anyways back to what I was saying, I think that it is the commercially made granolas that can be loaded with fat and sugar. But when you make your own, you can chose the amount and kind of sugar and fat you add to yours. And by fat, I am only referring to the oil added, not the nuts. People can get so hung up on the fat in nuts that they are afraid of eating them. But actually, nuts are load with good fats, the kind of fats that are beneficial for your brain, organs and skin. Nuts are filling too so they are a great snack. Sure, if you eat a couple cups of nuts in a day, that’s too much. But this is a good example of if you eat intuitively then you will eat only what your body needs. Eating intuitively takes away the focus on the calories and serving sizes and focuses on listening to what your body needs and when it is satisfied.
Our favorite way to eat this granola is on top of greek yogurt with hemp seed hearts. Hemp seed is an excellent source of protein, omega-3’s and 6’s, thiamin, phosphorus, zinc, iron, magnesium and manganese. It is quite the wonder food! Have you tried hemp seed yet? It has a delicious nutty flavor. We’ve tried a couple and our favorite brand is Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. So good!
Granola and hemp seed is good on fruit flavored yogurt. But my favorite way to eat it is on plain greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and about a cup of frozen blueberries. Words cannot describe how delicious this is! I eat it all the time! It is a satisfying and well-rounded meal that is good for breakfast or lunch. I have even packed it to eat for supper when I am at the hospital for a clinical night for school. Great energy source!
Another one of my favorite ways to eat it is with a bowl of fresh fruit in the summertime. My favorite combo is fresh peaches, blueberries and strawberries topped with granola. That is summertime eating at its best!
Why not make some today? Then you will have it to eat on all week too. And if you are gluten free like I am, make sure that you are using a certified gluten free brand of oats. Oats are well known to be easily cross-contaminated with wheat. So make sure you are eating GF oats. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats. They have old-fashioned, quick and steel-cut GF oat options. Not only are they gluten free, but they taste better too. I’m not sure how, but they definitely taste better than other brands of oats.
I hope you try this granola and love it as much as we do!
GLUTEN FREE GRANOLA MADE WITH COCONUT OIL AND HONEY
In a large bowl, stir together:
3 c. old-fashioned GF oats
1 c. steel-cut GF oats
1 c. sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
1/2 c. unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
In a small bowl, stir together:
4 tbsp. coconut oil
4 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
Pour over the dry ingredients and stir together with a spatula until all the ingredients are moistened and throughly combined. Pour the granola onto a cookie sheet. Place in a preheat 325 degree F oven and bake for 15 minute. When done, cool completely then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Optional:
1 c. organic raisins
When finished baking, pour the granola back into the large bowl and stir in raisins. Then cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serve with greek yogurt and fruit or with a bowl of fresh fruit. Yum!
