We visited a quaint little coffee shop who serves out of this world coffee. We went there for the coffee of course, but my son ordered yogurt with granola topping. We all drooled over the decadent, crunchy topping on his creamy bowl of yogurt. From that moment on, my love for homemade granola was born. There is something dazzling about the crunchy mixture. It’s simple, but elegant, and that’s what this recipe is all about. All the basics, but easily customizable. One thing I definitely wanted in my recipe was double oats–the traditional old-fashioned oats combined with quick-cooking steel cut oats. Oh wow!…those crunchy clusters are the key to my heart, and maybe the light sweetness of the maple syrup and the hint of cinnamon plays a part too. And let’s not forget, it is completely customizable, yes, make it your way. If your allergic to nuts, add pepitas or sunflower seeds. Pick your favorite dried fruit and add that in. (Blueberries are pictured.) Where are all my chocolate lovers?? You know you want some semi-sweet chocolate chips thrown into this goodness. I love this granola because it’s so versatile. You can add so many things and eat it so many ways! If you are able to get control and stop eating it by the handful, try it in a bowl of your favorite milk or add it to muffins. Roll bananas in it and freeze. Yum! Add it to smoothies or put it over pancakes, waffles, or even ice cream, oh my!! Toss it with oatmeal and of course, my all time tried and true favorite: layer it with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit! Don’t be afraid to whip up this homemade granola, I promise it’s so easy. Be sure to get creative and make it just the way you like it. There is something so satisfying about homemade. You’ll never look back to store-bought granola again!
Homemade Granola with Double Oats
Old fashioned and steel cut oats are combined to make a quick, easy and delicious granola. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). And it's completely customizable, choose your favorite add-ins: coconut, dried fruit or chocolate chips
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup Steel cut oats, quick cooking*
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts or seeds, or both (optional) (for nut free: use pepitas or sunflower seeds)
- 1/8 cup chai seeds (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, finely ground
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as olive, sunflower, coconut, or canola
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries (or your choice of dried fruit or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Instructions
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Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large rimed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon and sea salt. Stir to combine
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Pour in the oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until evenly combined.
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Pour the granola out on the prepared pan. Spread out the mixture with a spoon for an even layer.
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Bake until lightly golden for about 20 minutes. Remove granola from the oven, add the coconut if desired. Stir all the ingredients together. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the granola and coconut are lightly toasted.
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Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then stir and your favorite add-ins: dried fruit, chocolate chips or any other optional add-ins you might prefer.
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Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
*Be sure to use quick cooking steel cut oats and for gluten free make sure oats are certified gluten free.
Eat the granola on its own or add milk, Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Add it to muffins. Roll bananas in granola and freeze. Toss it with oatmeal for a crunchy breakfast topping!
Slightly adapted from Kitchn.
