How to Make Granola With What Have at Home

A guide to creating homemade granola using what you have in the pantry,
(including superfood, ancient grains) 

Snacktivist Blog - How to make granola with what you have

 
Granola is a supremely healthy, comforting and customizable breakfast food. Crunchy, chewy, sweet, or savory, this staple needs simple ingredients. It combines all sorts of grains, fats and sweeteners to create something you will enjoy, whatever your tastes.

Here’s the point: the possibilities are wild!

Read on for how to create your new favorite granola with what you have at home.

granola ingredients snacktivist foods

the ratio: 4 parts dry ingredients : 1 part wet ingredients

example: 

  • 3 parts grains
  • 1 part nuts and seeds
 
  • ½ part fat
  • ½ – ¾ part sweetener

    Below is a starting point for ingredient options that you can combine. Feel free to include your personal favorites or anything that we’ve missed in the comments!

    ingredients

    grains
    amount: 3 cups

    • Old-Fashioned rolled oats
    • barley flakes
    • spelt flakes
    • kamut flakes
    • buckwheat flakes or groats
     
    • quinoa flakes or seeds
    • popped amaranth
    • Puffed millet (photoed)
    • puffed rice
    nuts and seeds
    amount: 1 – 1½ cups 

    nuts:
    • almonds
    • walnuts
    • pecans
    • hazelnuts(photoed)
    • cashews
    • pistachios
    • macadamias
    • peanuts

    seeds:

    • pumpkin
    • sunflower
    • flax(photoed)
    • chia
    • sesame
    • hemp

    (keep the ratio of smaller seeds, like flax, chia, etc. to no more than ¼ cup)

    Optional: An additional ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

    herbs, spices and favorings
    amount: 1-2 tsp dried spice and 1/8 – 1 tsp of flavoring extract, depending on the strength

    herbs/spices:

    • Cinnamon
    • vanilla powder
    • nutmeg
    • Ginger
    • cardamom
    • Cloves
    • rosemary
    • thyme
     
    • basil
    • fennel
    • chili flakes
    • smoked paprika
    • curry powder
    • espresso powder, etc.

    extracts: 

    • Vanilla
    • hazelnut
    • almond
    • coconut
     
    • maple
    • banana
    • coffee
    • rum, etc.

    salt
    amount: ¾ – 1 tsp

    sweetener
    amount: approximately a ½ -¾  cup

    *note: decrease significantly for savory granola.

    • Maple syrup
    • honey
    • agave
    • date syrup
    • brown rice syrup
    • coconut palm sugar
    • brown sugar
    • maple sugar. 

     

     snacktivist cinnamon roll pancakes
    fat
    amount: ¼ -½ cup
    • Olive oi
    • coconut oil
    • grape seed oil
    • butter
    • ghee
    • and nut/seed oils like hazelnut, macadamia, sunflower, almond, or walnut, etc.
    dried or freeze-dried fruit
    amount: 1 cup
    • Cranberries
    • raisins
    • blueberries
    • cherries
    • raspberries
    • strawberries
    • currants
    • goji berries
    • mulberries
    • golden berries
    • candied ginger
    • pineapple
    • banana
    • dates
    • mango
    • pear
    • apricots
     

    other

    • Cocoa powder: ¼ -½ cup, added in with the dry ingredients
    • Citrus zest, added in with the wet ingredients before mixing
    • Chocolate chips/chunks, amount is up to your discretion, added in to baked, cooled granola.


    Feel free to halve the recipe if you are just looking to test something out.
    Yield: 12-16 servings


    Prep: 10 mins
    Cook: 45mins
    Total: 55mins

     

    instructions

     
    1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, including grains, nuts/seeds/coconut, spices, and salt.
    3. Warm/melt the oil/butter, sweetener, and extract (if using) in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix together. NOTE: For clumpier granola, beat one egg white until foamy and replace 2 tbsp of fat mixture with it.
    4. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir together until coated.
    5. Evenly spread mixture over the parchment-lined pan and bake until golden brown, approximately 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minute for flakier granola. For clumpier granola, don't stir the granola while it's baking, simply rotate the pan halfway through.

     

    more breakfast ideas:
     
    lemon, chia pancakes (gf/v)
    rich cocoa waffles (gf/v)
    cinnamon roll pancakes (gf/v)

     

    How to Make Granola With What Have at Home
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