Granola has developed into quite a staple in many peoples' households. However, most of the store-bought ones are laced with unnecesary amounts of sugar and oftentimes, additives. And, besides, who needs to buy it when its so much more fun (and easy) to just make it at home?
By making your granola at home, not only can you control what you eat, you can also play around with different nuts, seeds, grains, and spices to get a variety of flavors. Making granola is a fun process, which results in something new, fun, and different every time. AND its practically impossible to fail so don't be afraid to play around see what you come up with! Below, please find my guide (not recipe) to making your own, home-made granola.
DRY IGREDIENTS:
1 cup gf oats (can omit completely for grain-free)
1/3 cup puffed quinoa (same as above)
1.5 cups mixed nuts/seeds (ex: almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pumpkin/sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup chia seeds (high in Omega-3 fatty acids)
1/8 cup hemp seeds (same as chia)
1/3-1/2 cup dried fruit such as mulberries, dates, cranberries, etc. (can omit completely if looking for low sugar)
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
-cacao nibs
-buckwheat groats
-bee pollen
-etc.
WET INGREDIENTS:
Its tough to give you measurements for this because it really depends on how sweet you like your granola and also how much of the dry ingredients you ended up making. Know this: you need to make enough of the wet mixture to coat the entire amount of dry ingredients. Below i'll give you all the ingredients I like to include. Once you've got those in a nutribullet/blender, add enough liquid, like water or any nut milk, to cover all the dry ingredients and blend.
3-6 TBS sweetener (I usually use maple syrup or date honey but its up to you!)
1 TBS nut/seed butter (this gives an extra nutty flavor)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 TBS lemon juice (adds a nice kick)
Either cinnamon or raw cacao powder to taste are always my go-to flavors. You can enhance these with some: nutmeg, cardamom, or whatever your favourite spice is.
Liquid - enough to coat the entire dry mixture (I use water but feel free to use any nut milk)
Give your granola a boost with some:
maca powder
vegan protein powder
L-Glutamine Powder
Any adaptogen: ashwaganda, reishi, etc.
METHOD
Add all your dry ingredients to a bowl. Feel free to stray away from the exact measurements that I gave you. (in fact, i encourage it! - these measurements were just my estimation, anyway. I much prefer eye balling it all)
Combine all your wet ingredients in a nutri-bullet or blender
Add wet mixture to the dry and incorporate well
For dehydrator: place on dehydrating racks and leave for 8-12 hours or overnight
For oven: preheat oven to 150 degree celsius and cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown/crispy looking
Can't wait to see what creative and unique granola variations you come up with!