Half the Sugar Baker
I love this granola so much that I eat it for breakfast everyday, seriously. I put it on top of some greek yogurt with some fruit and that has been my breakfast for at least two years now. The granola is so simple to make and it’s so delicious. My favorite part is how customizable it is, you can use whatever nuts or seeds you like and top it with your favorite dried fruits.
I make this recipe around once every 2 months and keep a huge jar of it in my freezer and a smaller jar in my pantry. That way, it easy to add some to my yogurt every morning and the jar in the freezer stays fresh.
This granola is my favorite because it has just the right amount of the sweetness and the spices really add another layer of flavor that makes it so delicious. I wanted this granola to be lower in sugar and oil so I did some experiments to see what worked. I found that adding an egg white helped the granola to stay together with the reduced honey. The egg white also makes this granola super crisp!
If you really like granola clusters, you can add 2 tablespoons of whole wheat or all purpose flour to the granola mix, which helps bind it together.
Another tip for crunchy granola clusters is to press it down really tightly so it’s super compact. I like to press it into a thin layer around 1/2 inch thick. After baking, do not touch it until the granola has cooled completely.
Lastly, I really recommend baking this granola on a large baking sheet. This allows for the best airflow and results in the crispiest granola!
This recipe is really a blueprint for you to customize. The nuts and seeds can be changed to whatever you like, as well as the toppings. This granola lets the nuts and seeds shine because I like having a higher nuts to oats ratio. My usual combination of nuts is pecans, walnuts, and almonds which I chop in half and quarters. My favorite toppings are raisins, dried mango, and semi-sweet chocolate. I’d love to hear your favorite combos!
If you liked this recipe for crunchy homemade granola, you might also like my recipe for homemade yogurt!
Crunchy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts or seeds chopped to desired size
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat or all purpose flour for extra clumpy granola
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup dried fruit I prefer raisins and dried mangoes
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips chopped finely
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Also add the flour, if using. Stir together.
- Add the oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Mix with the oats and nuts until well combined.
- In a small bowl, briefly whisk the egg white until frothy. Then pour the egg white into the granola mixture and stir until just combined.
- Pour the granola into the lined baking sheet and spread into a even layer, around 3/4 inch thick. Press down firmly with a spatula on top.
- Bake for 26-30 minutes on a low oven rack or until golden brown. When done baking, remove from oven and let the granola cool completely in the pan. While the granola is still warm, top with dried fruit and chocolate.
- Once cooled, break into desired pieces and store in an airtight container in freezer for long term storage or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
