Homemade Granola

I LOVE GRANOLA.
Ok, now that I’ve gotten the excitement out of the way, let’s chat about being functional.
I’m a huge fan of pre-buying healthy items to help save some steps but I’ve bene noticing that when I reach for some store-bought granola the sugars are super high and it may not have all the flavors I want. I decided to buy a few things to start making it myself at home because not only is it healthier and I can make smaller batches to change up flavors, but it’s also way cheaper in the long run and it helps me to be more aware of what I’m eating. Another huge bonus – your house will smell amazing after cooking this!!

How I’ve been using granola lately:
+ Strawberries + Granola + A Little Honey
+ Yogurt + Granola
+ Apple + Peanut/almond butter + Granola
+ Add Granola To Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

Rolled Oats (I did 2 cups)
Nuts (any kind, I used macadamia nuts & sliced almonds)
Seeds (I used chia & flax – you could also add pumpkin and sunflower!)
Coconut Oil
Cinnamon – lots! (5+ tablespoons)
Salt (literally 1 teaspoon, it’s just to add a little flavor)
Honey*
Coconut Flakes**
*You don’t have to add honey because it is added sugar, but it helps with the flavor to be a smidge sweeter!
**Do NOT add the coconut flakes to the granola until after it’s cooked and cooled off otherwise it will burn (same with chocolate/dried fruit/etc)!

Feel free to add extra things to spice it up: like other nuts, dried fruits, etc

DIRECTIONS

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Mix everything together (*minus coconut flakes / dried fruit)
Spread out on a pan and throw into the oven
Cook for 15 minutes – If everything looks good (aka no burn) cook for another 5 minutes!
Let cool
Add in extras that didn’t go into the oven (coconut flakes, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc)
Store in Air-Tight Container (I often re-use old glass pickle/peanut butter jars before buying new jars)