If I am anything, it's a GRANOLA GIRL... in the sense that I love granola in pretty much anything. Yogurt? Absolutely. Cereal? Why not?! Smoothie bowl? Yes! I love to throw it in/on top of almost anything to give it an extra satisfying crunch! The unfortunate thing about granola from the store is how overpriced it is! I swear it is like $10 for enough to go on top of a single bowl of yogurt. Frustrating, right?
Last year, when I was out of my usual granola I get from the store, I had the realization that as someone who cooks A LOT, I should probably start making my own granola to save some gas, time, and money. After a quick google search, I found that you can add pretty much anything in varying quantity to a base of rolled oats, sweetener, oil, and salt, and it magically becomes the granola we all know and love. While playing around with a base recipe and adding a few additional ingredients, I found my favorite ratios of all the ingredients to make this granola recipe I've been using for a long time! SO GOOD, SO EASY, and SO CHEAP to make!!
The ingredients of my base recipe are rolled oats, maple syrup (or honey, or agave-- depending on what I have on hand!), salt, vanilla, light olive oil, cinnamon, and dried fruit. (I prefer cranberries or cherries!).
Some additional things you can add:
- flaxseed
-coconut flakes
- chia seeds
- museli
- bee pollen
- nuts
- peanut butter or almond butter
- chocolate chips (after baking)
- candy chunks (after baking)
- so much more!
Storage:
You can store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for around 1-2 weeks. For longer storage, store in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit and possibly other mix-ins can freeze solid, so let it come to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Enough with the logistics, time to get making!
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup maple syrup (can substitute agave or honey or brown sugar if needed)
3 tbsp light tasting olive oil (canila oil works too!)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried fruit (I typically use cherries or cranberries)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also use a silicone baking mat or spray the sheet very well with cooking spray if needed!
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the oil and maple syrup and add the dried fruit or additional mix ins. Stir until combined. Dump the granola onto the baking sheet and press the mixture into a 1-inch-thick oval. By pressing it together, this will encourage larger clumps forming.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan halfway. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until golden brown. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before breaking it up into varying sized chunks.
4. Serve and enjoy!
I hope you all love how quick, easy, and delicious this recipe is! I want you all to get creative and make this recipe your own (if you want, I can't really tell you what to do!). To get notified when more recipes are posted, subscribe via email down below! For additional recipes, content, and tutorials, check out my Instagram page @graces_messy_kitchen and additional social media handles! Happy baking!