Granola doesn’t seem like the most exciting thing to make at home, but trust me, when you smell the delicious combination of toasty oats, maple and spices wafting from the oven – you won’t regret it!
A lot of shop-bought versions are also unnecessarily high in sugar and overpriced for what you get. Once you realise just how much easier and nicer it is to make yourself, you’ll wonder why you ever bought it pre-made.
This version is a fairly simple one – in an effort to bring you a purse-friendly recipe, I’ve stuck to the ingredients I found cheapest in the supermarkets, but please feel free to change it up with different mix-ins – different nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate/cacao chips, coconut and citrus zest are all great – some of my favourites are orange-cacao and cranberry-coconut – share your own combinations below or on social media!
Makes 1 large jar
INGREDIENTS
- 3½ cups/300-400g oats (or half oats, half rice flakes)
- ¾ cup/100g almonds, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup/100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup/100g sunflower seeds
- ½ cup/100g coconut oil
- ½ cup/125ml maple syrup
- ¼ cup/60ml apple puree
- ½ -1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup/100g sultanas
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 150. Line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Place the coconut oil, maple syrup, apple puree, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until everything has melted together.
- Take off the heat and set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients, except the sultanas, in a large bowl and stir in the coconut oil mixture until everything is thoroughly coated.
- Spread out over the baking sheets and cook in the oven for around 30 mins until golden brown, stirring halfway through.
- Leave to cool on the trays before mixing in the sultanas.
- Use as a topping for smoothie bowls, yogurt or stewed fruit, enjoy a bowl with a splash of milk or just eat straight from the jar like trail mix!
- Store in an airtight jar. It should stay fresh for at least a month.
