Improve your mornings with this easy homemade granola. It's crispy, crunchy, nutty, diary-free, gluten-free, and has the perfect amount of sweetness. Use your favorite dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and sweeteners to customize it to your liking!
⅓cup(57grams)canola oil, olive oil, or coconut oil
1(35grams)large egg white, at room temperature, optional
Instructions
Heat the oven to 325 °F. Line a half-sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
Combine the maple syrup, light brown sugar, water, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
Meanwhile combine the rolled oats, chopped almonds, dried fruit, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and almond meal in a large bowl.
Once the maple syrup mixture has cooled, whisk in the canola oil. Whisk the egg white (if using) in a small bowl until it's frothy. Stir it into the syrup mixture.
Pour the syrup mixture over the rolled oats mixture and stir well.
Spread the granola evenly over the prepared baking pan. Press down firmly to compact it before baking using the bottom of another pot.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until dark golden brown, rotating the baking pan every 15 minutes to promote even browning.
Set the baking pan on a cooling rack until surface of the granola is crisp. Leave the oven on while the granola cools.
If the granola's surface is still tacky to the touch once cooled, return the baking pan to the oven and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. Don’t let the granola get too dark or it will taste bitter.
Once the granola is totally cool, break it into pieces (and try to resist eating it all at once).
Storage instructions: Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the fridge up to 1 month (if it lasts that long!). It freezes well, too!
Recipe Notes
In addition to vanilla extract, you can add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract or Fiori di Sicilia (an orange-vanilla extract) for more aroma and depth of flavor.Use a single type of dried fruit (like raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries), or mix up a medley. Use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for the sesame seeds, or add in ¼ cup of shredded coconut. Feel free to substitute for or leave out the dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. You can also use ¼ cup of cornmeal for some of the almond meal. Make the granola to your liking!This homemade granola recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, and can be made vegan if the egg white is omitted. However, if you leave out the egg white, the granola won't be as crispy and won't hold together as well.