Easy Handmade granola!

Easy healthy homemade granola!

A friend and customer who came to the store, reminded me that I can avoid almost everything from the market with sugars or unhealthy saturated fats and oils or preservatives I made my own granola and we enjoy it as much as anything with the kids! Rania you are the best!

Its preparation is extremely fast and to tell you the truth you do not even need a recipe, at least from the second time and then, until you get into the mood. It allows you to control the amount of sugar and the quality of the ingredients, while changing things and adding the flavors you love.

It is cheaper to make your own granola if you choose to make it more than once. It may be a little expensive to buy all the ingredients in bulk the first time, but homemade granola is very affordable in the long run.

You will need:

WHOLE OATS full of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, iron and magnesium. Regardless, make sure you buy 100% pure whole wrapped oats for your homemade granola. Avoid anything that says "instant" or "fast cooking". (Instant / fast-cooking oats = processed / higher glycemic / worse for you.) Oats are also gluten-free by nature.

COCONUT OIL (ANY HEALTHY OIL) I like to use coconut oil because it adds a really great light flavor to the granola, but you can use any oil you prefer, even olive oil. In many variations that I make I do not put at all and it turns out wonderful. Other options: Extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil or macadamia oil would also be great here. Oils to Avoid: Oils high in omega-3 fats, such as flaxseed oil, are great but should not be heated.

NUTS: I always add unsalted nuts. Use whatever you like and whatever you have in the kitchen. I like to include almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts.

SEEDS. Fine, chia, sesame, pumpkin or sunflower seeds are a good choice.

DRIED FRUITS (FLAKES) - A small amount of sugar-free dried fruits is also a great choice for more playfull mood, great taste and even more nutrients. Ideas like strawberry flakes, pear, apple, peach. All our flakes are sugar free, Greek and without additives or preservatives.

And of course Berries like blueberries, raspberries, white berries, sea buckthorn or whatever makes you happy. Of course without sugar and as organic as you can.

Cacao nibs and nut butter. Nice ideas are coconut chips or flakes. Honey or maple syrup can be added for sweetening. Local raw honey is also a great choice, especially if someone you are cooking for, suffers from seasonal allergies. Some health experts say that local raw honey that has not been pasteurized will contain small traces of local pollen that can help with allergies (some homeopathy).

Finally, I always sprinkle with authentic Madagascar vanilla, cinnamon ceylon and flower salt.

The vanilla extract or its powder adds a gourmet flavor to the homemade granola and the salt highlights the taste of each ingredient and makes the sweetener taste even sweeter.

HOW TO MAKE CRUSHED GRANOLA

First mix the oats with the nuts and all the ingredients you like. I crush half the oats in the blender and of course the nuts.

I add liquid elements such as honey, or nut oil or butter well to make it resemble a dough.

No extra ingredients are needed to make a crispier, more compact granola — just a few extra tips.

Spread it on a greased baking sheet and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Be sure to press the ingredients evenly before baking. Stir in the middle of baking. To achieve extra crunch on your granola, press it before it cools completely to room temperature and then avoid hitting it until it cools completely.

I put the cocoa at the end, after it comes out of the oven.

Recipe to have in mind. Personally I never followed it, I go with my taste and with what I like.

* 2-3 tablespoons real maple syrup or honey 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or other cooking oil)

* Or 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 large pinch of fine sea salt (about 1/8 teaspoon, I use real salt)

* 2 cups whole oats

* ½ cup raw nuts, finely chopped (or chopped almonds, no need to chop them) ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds, ½ cup dried fruit.

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Combine the oil and maple syrup (or honey), vanilla extract and salt at the bottom of a large bowl and mix. Coconut oil can be solid (do not bother to melt it, it will do it alone in the oven). Add the rest of the dry ingredients, it will be sticky and messy, but that's the fun part. Mix by hand. Your hands will heat the oil and melt it in the mixture if it is solid. Just be sure to mix it with the other ingredients so that no oil remains. Spread the mixture in a thin layer in a pan lined with oil paste and bake for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before serving or storing. Homemade granola will taste like burnt popcorn if you overdo it. Keep the oven at a low temperature for only 10-12 minutes to unite. I usually take mine out in 10 minutes. In the middle of the baking (at about 5 minutes) I open the oven and stir it.

HOW TO STORE AND SERVE HOME GRANOLA

Storing granola is similar to storing dried oatmeal. Because this recipe is homemade, you can keep it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. I personally prefer to store my homemade granola in a jar in my fridge or in a plastic bag without BPA when traveling or on the go. It is also deliciously eaten as a snack outside of breakfast with some vegetable milk, or with yogurt.

Enjoy!