This super tasty homemade granola recipe is a great healthy breakfast option! It’s easy to make and delicious to eat! 

For the past five years, I have been an avid cereal lover. Every morning I look forward to sitting at my kitchen table with a delicious bowl of cereal, berries, and almond milk. I love my moment of peace and quiet before the chaos of the day begins. However, I recently began feeling bored with my simple cereal. I was craving something new and exciting to spice up my morning routine. So, I searched the shelves of my local supermarket to find exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something nutritious, filling, and flavorful. I wanted granola. 

In my humble opinion, granola is the perfect breakfast food. It is flavorful, hearty, and has a superb crunchy texture. In addition, granola is full of protein that keeps me full for hours. The nuts and oats also provide important nutrients and fats. Furthermore, you can really make granola your own. You can have granola with milk and berries or with some vanilla yogurt. The possibilities are endless! 

However, being somewhat picky, I took issue with every type of granola that I found at the store. One type had pecans (a nut I personally dislike). Another had too much added sugar. The third brand had no dried fruit. Since I could not find anything that satisfied my long wishlist, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was going to make my own homemade granola! I could include the exact nuts and sweeteners that I wanted. Here is my recipe of granola (modified from NYT Cooking Eleven Madison Park Granola) that fits all my dreams and desires. 

HOMEMADE GRANOLA INGREDIENTS:

Rolled oats – Just grab some regular oatmeal from your pantry or from the store! Make sure that you do not get steel-cut oatmeal or quick-oats. You will be using three cups. 

Pistachios – You will need around 1 cup of shelled pistachios. I used one cup of plain, unsweetened pistachios from the bulk section of my local grocery store. 

Coconut flakes – Make sure that you do not get sweetened flakes unless you want your granola to be extra sugary. I like to use around 1 cup of plain flakes.

Pumpkin seeds – Again, just plain pumpkin seeds are best. You will need around 1/4 of a cup.

Maple syrup – Use pure maple syrup for this recipe. It will give your granola the perfect sweetness. You will need 1/3 of a cup. 

Brown sugar – I like to add a bit of sugar for extra sweetness. I used around 1/4 cup. 

Olive oil – Olive oil might seem like a strange choice for granola. But trust me, this adds a delicious hearty flavor to your recipe. I used around 1/2 of a cup of olive oil.

Salt – Salt is always the perfect way to bring out the flavor. If you are using big flakes of salt you can use up to one tablespoon. However, if you are using fine salt, add one or two teaspoons. 

Dried cranberries – The dried berries are the final step in the granola recipe. I like to add ½ cup of dried berries at the very end. They add some sweetness and a nice chewy texture!

And remember, this homemade recipe is very customizable. Want to add sliced almonds? Do it! Want to substitute dried apricots? Go for it! You can add whatever you want to make this granola tailor made for you.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE GRANOLA:

This granola recipe is super easy to make. First, put the syrup, olive oil, and brown sugar in a pan on the stove. Dissolve the ingredients together. This will only take a few short minutes. 

After that, combine all of your dry ingredients in a bowl. The oats, pistachios, and seeds can all be added together in whatever order! But, do not add the fruit as it will burn in the oven. 

Third, add your liquid to the dry mixture.

Then, stir to combine everything. As a result, the dry mixture should be finely coated in liquid.

Next, place the contents of your bowl on a lined baking sheet. Put it in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. About halfway through (at the 20 minute mark) I like to stir the granola in the oven to make sure that everything gets baked evenly. 

After the granola has reached a golden brown color, remove it from the oven. Let it cool before you add your dried fruit. 

Lastly, throw the homemade granola in a container and enjoy the next week. It’s as easy as that! You can even top it with your homemade almond milk.

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