Healthy Granola Recipe
Simple and easy, my heart healthy, whole grain granola recipe will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters and leave everyone wanting more.
Servings 8
Calories 435kcal
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- large cookie sheet
- rubber spatula
- silpat or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon optional
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup sunbutter, tahini, or nut butter
- 1 cup shredded coconut optional
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225° F.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, chia seeds, sea salt, and cinnamon. Pour in the maple syrup, seed/nut butter, and vanilla. Mix until everything is relatively uniform.
- Pour this over a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and spread evenly into a thin layer.
- Bake for an hour, stirring halfway through and being sure it’s all spread out evenly again. Remove from the oven once the granola is dry, after the full hour is up.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips (or other mix-ins) over the granola and let cool completely before stirring and storing. Once cooled, use an airtight container to place in a cool, dry spot. Store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you’re having trouble mixing the wet ingredients into the oat mixture, either use your hands to help break it up in the mixing bowl or heat the nut/seed butter on low heat with the maple syrup beforehand, stirring the warm mixture into the oat mixture after it has melted.
This recipe is a use-whatever-you-have-in-the-pantry kind of recipe. No chocolate chips? Use coconut chips, or toffee chips, or cashews—really, it’s whatever you want.
Wait to add mix-ins until after baking. Coconut chips, nuts or chocolate may get too dark while baking in the oven for an hour. Chocolate will just make a big mess when you stir it halfway through, anyway. Trust me on this one. I’ve tried this recipe so many different ways, so many times.
You can also use half oats and half Grape Nuts for some added fiber and iron. I tried this once and it was delicious.
I listed tahini (toasted sesame seed butter) and sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) specifically because my husband is allergic to nuts. All recipes in my house have to be nut free just to be safe. But feel free to use any nut butters you may have on hand instead.
Make sure to spread the granola in an even, thin layer on a large cookie sheet. If you only have smaller ones, use two or more smaller cookie sheets to ensure the oats all have enough room to dry out and get toasted.
Stirring the granola and spreading it back out halfway through is important. You want to make sure it all cooks evenly. The final product should be dry and you also don’t want it to get too dark. You really just want a golden hue and all the wonderful flavors to be well absorbed into the oats for optimal snacking later.