Description
This recipe creates crispy cluster granola, perfect for a healthy breakfast or snack. It features simple ingredients like rolled oats, maple syrup, nuts, and seeds, baked to a golden-brown perfection with irresistible clusters.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups rolled oats, old-fashioned (not instant)
- 0.5 cup pure maple syrup (or honey, or reduce to 0.33 cup for less sweetness)
- 0.25 cup neutral oil (avocado oil, coconut oil, or light olive oil)
- 1 cup mixed nuts and seeds (chopped almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds; use only seeds for nut-free)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prep: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, combine the pure maple syrup, neutral oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until well blended.
- Mix Together: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture in the large bowl. Stir thoroughly with a spatula, ensuring every oat flake and seed is coated until cohesive.
- Spread and Press: Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it into an even layer and gently but firmly press it down to encourage cluster formation.
- Bake: Bake for 30-40 minutes. Stir gently once halfway through (around 15-20 minutes) if you desire smaller clusters, or leave undisturbed for larger clusters. Watch for a golden-brown color and a toasty aroma.
- Cool Completely: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the granola cool completely undisturbed on the sheet for 45-60 minutes to achieve maximum crispness.
Notes
For a gluten-free option, use certified gluten-free rolled oats. For a nut-free version, replace all nuts with an equal quantity of various seeds (e.g., pumpkin, sunflower, sesame). Store cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 0.5 cup (50g)
- Calories: 230 calories
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: easy breakfast, homemade granola, crispy clusters, oven-baked, healthy snack, maple syrup, meal prep, oats