Best Homemade Healthy Granola Recipe

What is granola? Granola is a very healthy choice for a breakfast or a snack, usually it is a mixture of rolled oats and some nuts, seeds and dried fruit or berries. Granola is usually eaten with milk, as a breakfast cereal.

This is a very delicious homemade granola recipe which you could make yourself. If you try making it, you probably will never buy granola again. The idea for this recipe came from a desire to give my family a healthy and delicious granola. You will save money on breakfast cereals and granola if you start making it yourself, in addition, it is very nutritious. I make a batch of this almost every week. We eat this granola with soy milk in the morning, and any other time of the day we feel like snacking. It is also very good when mixed with yogurt and berries or fruit.

This granola is very rich in nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 essential fatty acids and it is mildly sweet

3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup sucanat (or coconut palm sugar, or brown sugar)

1/4 cup light agave nectar, or liquid honey, or maple syrup, I have experimented with all three, all of them will give you good results and flavor. I pick agave nectar for it's low glycemic index, meaning it will not spike up the blood sugar levels.

1/4 cup of grape seed oil, or light olive oil, or coconut oil will also work great, coconut oil will have to be melted prior to mixing it.

1/2 tsp of fine grain sea salt, or regular salt

This to be added AFTER the granola is toasted:

1/2 cup of raw cacao nibs

1/2 cup of chopped dried raisins, cranberries, figs, mangoes, dates or any other dried fruit or berries of your choice.

1. Preheat oven to 250 F
2. Mix well together rolled oats, coconut, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds and sucanat (or brown sugar)
3. Mix together agave nectar, grape seed oil and sea salt
4. Add wet agave and oil mixture to dry mixture of nuts, seeds and coconut, this has to be mixed very well together, to make sure oil and agave coats everything evenly. The consistency will not be runny or a dough like, it will look like granola, just little bit moistened.
5. The mixture will fit into two standard sized cookie sheets. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, spread granola evenly on two baking trays.
6. Put into the oven and toast for about 30-45 mins, depending on your oven. Stir granola with silicone or wooden spatula once in between of toasting.
7. Take out of the oven and let it cool for about 20-30 mins.
8. Add cacao nibs for antioxidants and to add a chocolaty taste to your granola, also add dried chopped fruit or berries. Mix well with granola.
9. Store in air tight containers. Granola should be used within 1-2 weeks.