Seedy Granola
Crunchy, seedy granola, perfect for a breakfast or afternoon snack with fruit and yogurt!
The Origin
This was one of my first ever recipe creations! I had been looking for ways to incorporate more pumpkin and sunflower seeds into my diet, and when I didn't find any grocery store granolas that inspired me, I decided to create my own.
The Ingredients
I made this granola a lot in 2020 because I almost always had all the ingredients in my pantry, ready to go. If that's not the case for you, let me outline the critical ingredients and some great substitutions!
- Old-Fashioned Oats: This is the one ingredient in this recipe that cannot be substituted in any way. Steel cut or quick oats will not make a good granola!
- Nuts: I love pecans, but I've made this granola numerous times with walnuts, and I'm sure any nut would be delicious.
- Seeds: It's good to use a variety of seeds in this recipe, but even the seeds can be replaced with nuts if that's what you have available - just stick with the total quantities of approximately 1 cup + 6 Tablespoons of combined nuts and seeds. I do particularly recommend keeping the flaxseed meal as it helps to hold together the granola, but it still tastes great without it!
- Oil: Some oil is required to help your granola crisp up! I usually use olive oil but any neutral oil will work.
- Maple syrup: I love the flavor maple syrup adds here, but any liquid sweetener will work. You cannot skip this or replace with a dry sweetener - the liquid is essential for this recipe!
- Vanilla and cinnamon: The house always smells amazing while the granola is baking, and this is why!
The Method
There really isn't much to say here! I often wonder why more people don't make their own granola because it's one of the easiest baking recipes to start with. Just mix the wet, mix the dry, combine them and bake! Even if you burn it a little it still tastes absolutely delicious.
Crunchy, seedy granola, perfect for a breakfast or afternoon snack with fruit and yogurt!
- 2.5 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts!)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp flaxseed meal (or whole seeds)
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Olive oil (or other neutral oil)
- 5 tbsp maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight. Line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until they combine completely.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until all of the dry ingredients are coated in the liquid.
Spread the granola mixture out on the baking sheet in a thin, flat layer.
Bake the granola for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through the bake time to ensure the oats cook evenly. Take out the granola when lightly browned.
Allow the granola to cool completely before packing it into a sealed container. Store at room temperature for up to a month.
