Cooking your own food can have some amazing benefits for you.
Firstly, it is significantly cheaper than store-bought packages. When you buy whole sale or from farmers markets the ingredients sometimes cost multiple times less than having ready-made mixtures.
Secondly, you always know what you are eating! When you prepare your food at home you are 100% sure there are no artificial ingredients that wreak havoc on your digestion or trigger other responses in your body. What’s more, store-bought granola 90% of the times contains an overwhelming amount of added sugars which is not what we want, right? Simple, wholesome ingredients with naturally occurring sugars is what we aim for.
This recipe is very easy and can be whipped together in less than 15 minutes. At the same time, it makes 10 generous servings or 18 smaller ones for toppings over smoothies, porridges and yogurt. It’s 15 minutes well spent!
This granola tastes amazing on this Yogurt and Fresh Fruit Parfait (this can pass as breakfast or dessert!)
This healthy oatmeal cookie granola contains only simple, everyday ingredients and as always is totally customizable to your taste. See the notes for flavor inspiration! You can choose a different starring ingredient in each batch you make and bring different taste experiences each time.
This granola is also a great snack option and is pretty easy to have in your bag when you crave something crunchy and satisfying. It is ideal food for traveling or midday pick-me-ups. It also makes a perfect snack for your child when you wonder what to pack for lunch. Kids like crunchy stuff and here’s your chance to bring those healthy nutrients into their bodies!
Related: Meal replacement bars are another item that are way cheaper & healthier when made at home. Try these healthy banana oat breakfast bars
Type: breakfast, snacks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Serves: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup coconut oil (cold pressed, unrefined, organic, minimally processed is best)
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla seeds or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried apples, figs and raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Recipe:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, add and stir all of dry ingredients into the dry oatmeal.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut oil and honey (and vanilla if you are using an extract). If you want to speed the mixing process you can warm the coconut oil by placing it by itself in the preheating oven for just a few short minutes to make it easier to stir in with the other ingredients.
3. Once this is well blended, add to the oatmeal mix and stir well to combine and season.
4. Spread thinly on a baking sheet (you won’t need to grease anything)
5. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until slightly browned, turning once or twice (ideally every 4 minutes so that it cooks as evenly as possible).
Notes: You can use your favorite add-ins to make it even tastier. Think chips of dark chocolate, different kinds of nuts - almonds, pecans, cashews, etc. Experiment with different flavorings like peanut butter, cinnamon, maple syrup. Try different kinds of dried fruit like blueberries, cranberries, and pear.
Save your oatmeal cookie cereal in a glass jar and store in a cool dry place.