Homemade Granola

Homemade granola is delicious and simple to prepare. Making granola is easy and so much better for you than store bought, plus it is much more budget-friendly! Often times, store bought granola is loaded with high fructose syrups and other highly processed sugars, oils like trans fats which can go rancid (causing free radicals), artificial flavors and a variety of preservatives — a bunch of yucky things! In homemade granola, we can control the ingredients, making it a healthier choice.

The history of granola and the development of breakfast cereals is quite interesting! In the late 1800’s, granola was first introduced as a vegetarian alternative, and used in sanitariums (which were actually both hospitals and health resorts) as part of their health regimen. Granola consisted of whole grains that were crumbled and then baked until crisp. The original granola was rolled out into sheets, baked, crumbled and then baked again which had a texture similar to hardtack (a super hard cracker-like biscuit that lasted a long time without rotting) which required soaking overnight before it could be eaten. Granola was packaged to be sold to customers wishing to eat a “healthful food” in the early 1900’s and then it regained popularity in the 1960’s. Through the years, granola has unfortunately changed from a healthier alternative to having as much sodium and sugars as candy bars! It is the perfect reason to make your own!

My family loves adding granola to fruit and yogurt parfaits, overnight oats for a bit of crunch, atop baked apples or fruit crumbles, tossed into a banana roll-up (nut or seed butter spread atop a tortilla, topped with chopped banana, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, drizzled with honey and a sprinkle of homemade granola then wrapped up and eaten or browned lightly in a hot skillet), sprinkled on apple cookies (find the recipe here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/quick-and-easy-apple-cookies/ ) or even eaten as cereal! No matter how you decide to eat this homemade granola, it is simply delicious!

Let’s get started!

First off, we will be toasting the oats and nuts which provides flavor and helps the granola to be crunchy. I am using sliced almonds. You can use as many nuts and seeds as you like. My family likes it a little more plain, although we add other things to our granola later, when we eat it! I am also using old fashioned rolled oats but you can use quick-cooking oats or gluten free oats as well.

Give the oats and nuts a light toss and spread onto a baking pan. I am using stoneware. Place in oven at 350F for 10 minutes. The oats will not look toasted, and will look much like they did going into the oven!

Combine butter, honey, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla together. I warmed the mixture in the microwave for 45 seconds, just until the butter melted and was easy to stir. I decided to use cinnamon honey we bought from a local bee/honey farmer, which tastes wonderful!

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Remove the oats from the oven and pour into the honey mixture.

Stir well. Pour back onto baking pan. If using a metal pan, you may want to line it with parchment paper to avoid sticking (and provides an easy clean up!).

Doesn’t that look delicious!?! At this point, you can add raisins or other dried fruit, coconut and so on. Time to bake it!

Spread the oat mixture out on the baking pan. Place in oven and bake at 350F for 1 hour, stirring half way through.

Turn oven off and leave sit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. I leave mine to dry in the oven overnight, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan as it cools. This is where parchment is super handy! As it cools, it will stick to the stone if not stirred once in a while! I have learned this the hard way!

Once cooled, spoon granola into a jar and place lid on. Store on the counter or in the pantry.

This granola is delicious and has a slight cinnamon-spiced flavor. Once cooled, the granola will be crunchy. You can now add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks like dark chocolate, and dried fruit, or you can leave it more plain like we do. Leaving it a bit more plain makes it much more versatile! You can also add dried fruit and dark chocolate to your bowl of granola as you eat it! It is also excellent with milk or added to a fruit parfait! There’s so many ways to enjoy homemade granola!

My family loves eating this yummy homemade granola in yogurt parfaits, like our favorite apple pie yogurt parfait which you can find the recipe here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/our-favorite-apple-pie-yogurt-parfait-with-homemade-granola

Homemade Granola

3 cups raw oats
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla 
2 tsp butter
1 cup almonds or nuts and seeds of choice
you can also add other mix-ins like coconut, dried fruit, other nuts and seeds as well

Toast the oats and almonds if using, on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. It won’t look brown. Remove from oven. Set aside. Combine honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and butter. Pour oats, almonds in and stir. If you’re using pumpkin seeds, coconut, and dried fruit, add in now. Scatter mixture on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake at 350F for 1 hour. Turn the oven off. Let sit for 30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. I left mine out overnight to cool, stirring occasionally. Pour into a jar and store on the counter/pantry. This homemade granola will be good for about 2 to 3 weeks (if it lasts that long!)

enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours