I live in a savory-breakfast-eating household. You won’t find pancakes or french toast on my table — too much sugar in the morning leaves me feeling out of whack. But there is one exception to prove the rule. Yes, this homemade granola is lightly sweet. But it also provides loads of protein and fiber, and that’s before I sprinkle it over a scoop of yogurt.
About this recipe
I make a few different variations of this recipe. It’s easy to add or swap out different nuts (I’m partial to walnuts), spices, or dried fruits.
Sometimes I’ll use a different type of oil, or I’ll add tahini or peanut butter. Or I’ll substitute brown sugar or blackstrap molasses for the maple syrup. You can even add a smashed, ripe banana or a baked sweet potato into the mix, just reduce the sugar and oil a bit to keep things balanced.
It’s easy to make it your own; just try to keep the proportions of the different types of ingredients.
How to make homemade granola with clusters
Some homemade granola recipes load up on the oil or sugar in order to make the oats clump together. Others use animal products, like eggs, as binding ingredients.
After years of experimentation, there was a time when I had almost resigned myself to a lifetime of eating loose, flakey granola.
Then, one day, inspiration struck.
I had been using flax meal as a standard ingredient in my granola. After all, one must get one’s omega-3s! But I had just been tossing it in along with the other dry ingredients, which prevented the flax meal from achieving its full potential.
When I realized that making a flax egg (i.e., combining the flaxseed meal with water and letting it sit until it formed a gel) would allow the flax to bind the ingredients together, it was a game changer.
So, while there are many ways to customize your granola, I urge you to take the time to let the flax and water gel before you combine all of the ingredients.
Homemade Granola with Mangos and Almonds
Start your day with lightly sweet, crunchy clusters — perfect with yogurt or non-dairy milk.
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup water
- 3 cups dry, old-fashioned rolled oats*
- 1 ½ cups slivered almonds
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted*
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste, see notes)*
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted*
- ½ cup sunflower seeds, roasted*
- 1 cup dried mango, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Stir together and set aside for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats and almonds.
- Combine the flax mixture with the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt (if using). Whisk together until fully combined.
- Make a well in the center of the oat and almond mixture. Pour in the wet ingredients, and stir until they are fully incorporated. This may take a few minutes.
- Press the granola into a sheet pan. You may use a baking sheet or parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until granola is a light golden color. Remove from oven and allow to cool. The granola may feel a bit soft, but it will crisp up as it cools.
- Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried mango. Gently stir everything together, taking care not to break up the clusters too much.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Use gluten-free oats to make your granola gluten free.
Refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor. If you want a more tropical, coconutty flavor, use unrefined oil.
If your pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds are not roasted, add them to the granola in step #3, along with the almonds.
If your pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds are salted, you may want to omit or decrease the amount of salt you add to the granola.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12Amount Per Serving Calories 249Total Fat 15.9gSaturated Fat 5.4gSodium 101mgCarbohydrates 21.8gFiber 5gSugar 8.7gProtein 6.4g
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