Recipe: Crunchy Olive Oil Granola
I used to never eat granola. I liked the idea of adding some crunch to my yogurt or smoothie bowl, but could never find one that I liked. I would pick up every bag on the shelf and be turned off by either the sugar/fat content or the ingredients (raisin, YUCK).
Once I learned how easy it was to make granola, my life changed. I always have a batch on the go, and I eat it allll the time. My favourite is with a smoothie bowl, but sometimes I eat it with a splash of almond milk for an afternoon snack.
Below is my favourite recipe, full of healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and olive oil. You can totally customize it to your tastes by changing ratios, adding different nuts (like pecans or walnuts), or trying coconut oil instead of olive oil.
Crunchy Olive Oil Granola
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: approximately 10
Nutritional information, per 1/2 cup: 300 calories (20.3 grams fat, 24.7 grams carb, 8.1 grams protein)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cups raw coconut flakes
1/4 cups olive oil
1/4 cups maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. If your baking sheet is old or tends to stick, pre-grease it slightly with a bit of oil.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown.
For smaller pieces of granola, stir as soon as you pull it out of the oven. For bigger chunks, don’t touch the granola until it has cooled.
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Note: if you want to add dried fruit or chocolate, just mix it in after the granola has cooled.