Granola Made Simple

I love making granola so I can control the sugar in my diet. When I first needed to eat a gluten free diet, I had a difficult time finding cereal that was not loaded with sugars. (The options are much better now). I got in the habit of making my own cereal and have not looked back!

Making homemade granola does not take a long time and will cost you less than the packaged granola in the stores. I purchase my supplies when they are on sale and stock up (not too much as I do not have much storage) to keep the cost down. Many of the items I get in bins in the store which helps reduce packaging waste.

The granola is cooked for 20-30 minutes depending on the temperature of your oven and the texture you prefer. Once the granola is cool, you can store it in an airtight container for a month.

Time Savers:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 when you start assembling your granola
2. Line a cookie sheet with non stick aluminum foil ... the granola slides off and clean up is minimal (just the bowl you used for assembling the granola)

Granola Formula

Oats + Ancient Grains + Seeds + Flavor + Oil + Honey + OPTIONS

I usually use this ratio:

• 3 cups Gluten Free Oats
• 1 cup ancient grains (quinoa or millet)
• 1 cup of seeds (sunflower, pepitas, hemp, flax)
• 1-2 TBSP flavor ...vanilla, almond, maple, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or coconut (you decide the intensity)
• 3/4 cup oil (I usually use coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup honey (substitute Agave for Vegan option)

I combine until mixed and add in options such as:

• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut (you could add sweetened if you wish a sweeter granola)
• 1 cup dried fruit
• 1 cup diced nuts

The beauty of this recipe is you can control the quantity you make, the flavor, and the ingredients. You can cook it a bit longer for a dry and crunchy cereal or a bit less for a chewy texture.