How To Make The Best Healthy Granola

healthy granola in breakfast bowl

How To Make Healthy Granola

Homemade, healthy granola is super easy to make and gives you control over the amount of sugar and quality of ingredients.

Granola is generally perceived as a healthy food but some brands can hide spoonfuls of sugar and fat amid the more wholesome nuts and oats. But it doesn’t have to be that way, if you make your own you have total control and you can play around with different flavours. In the summer I like adding dried strawberries and mangos and in the winter I prefer dried cranberries and figs. Feel free to get creative and adjust it to your own likings. In Autumn there is nothing better than adding it to my Fig Chia Pudding Recipe, it’s utterly delicious.

In this granola recipe, I’m not using any refined sugars, only a bit of maple syrup and molasses. There is nothing better than the smell of roasted nuts and cinnamon filling your kitchen, simply delicious. Sprinkle your healthy granola on top of some Homemade Coconut Yoghurt or Almond Butter Porridge With Roasted Bananas and you are good to go.

healthy granola on tray

Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses contains the vitamins and minerals that it absorbs from the sugar cane plant. Molasses has a moderate glycemic load of 55, which makes it a better choice than refined sugar, especially for people with diabetes.

It contains high levels of

  • Vitamin B6
  • manganese
  • magnesium
  • potassium
  • iron and selenium. 
  • and selenium. 

 

Like it? Pin it!

how to make healthy granola

The Coconut Oil Controversy

Personally, I recommend using coconut oil for this recipe because besides having a high smoke point it has a lot of other benefits.

Unlike long-chain fatty acids found in plant-based oils, the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil are:

  • Easier to digest
  • Not readily stored as fat
  • Are anti-microbial and anti-fungal
  • Smaller in size, allowing easier cell permeability for immediate energy
  • Processed by the liver, which means that they are immediately converted to energy instead of being stored as fat

If you are confused about coconut oil being healthy or not because of the recent announcement by the American Heart Association, I recommend checking out the article “For Fat’s Sake, don’t follow those guidelines” by the Alliance for Natural Health.

Your turn

How do you like to eat your granola? I’m looking forward to reading your comments.

For more updates follow me on Facebook, Twitter, InstagramPinterest or subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Print Recipe
4.73 from 11 votes

How To Make The Best Healthy Granola

Homemade, healthy granola is super easy to make and gives you control over the amount of sugar and quality of ingredients.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: easy, gluten-free, low-sugar
Servings: 20
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Eva Burg

Ingredients

Mix-ins:

  • 1/4 cup raisins dried cranberries, or diced dried figs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F/150 °C.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, millet, flaxseed, nuts, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
  • Drizzle the coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla over the mixture and stir until well combined.
  • Spread the granola evenly on the lined baking sheet and press it down with your fingers or a spatula.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, mix in the dried fruits, press it back into an even layer and bake for additional 5-10 minutes.
  • Take the granola out of the oven and let cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.

Notes

Store leftover granola at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thehealthytart or tag #thehealthytart!

 

Healthy Homemade Granola