Today, I have the most simple homemade fruit and nut granola that comes together in a couple minutes and is incredibly versatile to your tastes. I absolutely love granola and making it from scratch is generally much cheaper than buying it from the store, hence this recipe!
My fruit and nut granola is perfect for pretty much anyone as you can easily swap each component to your taste and what you already have in the house. This is a very simple recipe and can easily be made vegan and more kid friendly as well.
Homemade recipes for stuff you typically buy at the store is always a great option as it’s generally cheaper, you pick what goes in and you can control the amount of sugar. Store bought granola is typically very high in sugar so this is a much healthier option.
If you’d like some other healthy homemade recipes that you typically buy from a bakery or the grocery store, then check out my bakery style oatmeal muffins or my chocolate chip banana bread.
Can I Make this Granola Vegan?
Absolutely, just swap out the honey for maple syrup and use vegan chocolate chips if you are adding them in!
Can I Make this Fruit and Nut Granola Gluten Free?
Yes, just make sure your oats are certified gluten free along with any other additions you choose.
As a side note, if making anything gluten free for someone with an allergy, ensure you thoroughly wash any equipment, jars or utensils. Any contact with flour may trigger an allergy. I like to say any baking I do in my own home is gluten friendly as I am using flour often and cannot guarantee there’s been no cross contamination.
For more gluten free breakfast options, try my chocolate almond banana muffins or my strawberry cheesecake overnight oats.
Rolled Oats vs. Quick Oats
I use rolled oats or old fashioned oats in this recipe and I don’t recommend using quick oats. They are more broken down and won’t come together in a granola as nicely. Rolled oats also typically have more fibre than quick oats.
Benefits of Oats
- Oats are a great source of fibre, mostly soluble fibre which helps slow down digestion and keeps you feeling full longer. The type of soluble fibre also aids gut health by supporting healthy gut bacteria. This can help reduce inflammation and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
- While many people say oats have no protein and aren’t a good thing to eat due to this, we seem to be a very protein obsessed culture currently, this isn’t actually true. While oats aren’t a high source of protein, they do contain about 4g per serving and include a good balance of essential amino acids. This is still important as you do need all of the essential amino acids in your diet, not just some of them.
- Oats are also high in iron, an essential mineral that many people don’t get enough, especially women. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin which is how your body carries oxygen throughout your body.
- As well as iron, oats are also a good source of other trace minerals like manganese, copper and phosphorus. These all aid your body in various tasks like bone building, collagen forming, creating red blood cells, etc. These are just a few of the benefits of eating oats and a few of the reasons I love them so much. If you’d like more information, check out https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4325078/ or https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/oats/.
Baking Tips
- Don’t overbake these or they will burn. Take them out when they just start to turn golden.
- Swap nuts and fruit for whatever type you prefer, make this recipe you’re own!
- I recommend rolled oats, not quick oats, in this recipe.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Recipes with Oats
Today’s song is an absolute classic! You can’t not smile listening to Little Richard. Here’s Keep-A-Knockin’ by Little Richard. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Homemade Fruit and Nut Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup (20g) ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup (50g) sliced almonds (or nut of choice)
- 1/3 cup (40g) dried fruit (I like cranberries best)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (22g) canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup (80g) honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (40g) mini semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, flaxseed, nuts, dried fruit and cinnamon. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined and everything is coated.
- Dump the mixture onto the baking tray and spread it so it's flat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. (*see notes) (It will still feel kind of soft but it will crisp up as it cools). Allow to fully cool and then add in the chocolate chips if you wish. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks and enjoy!
One of my favourite breakfasts is yogurt, grapes and granola and this is my go to granola recipe!
If you give it a try, leave a star rating and review letting me know what you thought!