We used to buy granola from the store… until we ran out during these coronavirus times. My husband is always telling me to not go “Little House on the Prairie” and just save time and buy things. But during these times, he is making an exception. It’s one less thing for him to find and touch at the store. These Honey Nut Granola are super simple to make and healthy too!
When we bought granola from the store, I always had to beat down the bag to make the clusters of granola break apart. The clusters were a bit hard for the kids (toddler age) to bite down on. These Honey Nut Granola are soft and “loose”, no cluster pieces and not packed together in a granola bar form. Add these granola to yogurt or eat it all on its own as a snack. Add some milk and you have granola cereal. Sprinkle some on top of a slice of toast smothered with peanut butter for a crunchy, fiber-full snack. The possibilities are endless!
Baking Tips
This recipe is flexible; ingredients can be swapped out and the sweetness can be adjusted to taste. As always, I like to sneak in bits of nutrition into the granola: flaxseed meal, chia seeds, dried cranberries. And if I’m feeling generous when giving the kids granola to snack on, I toss in some chocolate chips – everything tastes better with chocolate chips! Note, some ingredients should be added only after the granola cools after coming out of the oven. Dried cranberries harden into a rock if you bake it, while chocolate chips melt into a hot mess if you add it in while the granola is still very warm.
We make two trays of these at the start of the week and store them in three Classico 32 oz mason jars. By the end of the week, they are gone! Did I mention how wonderful your house will smell as the granola bakes?
30 Minute Honey Nut Granola
Ingredients
- 6 C oats
- 2 C walnuts or almonds, chopped or your favorite nut, optional
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chia seeds, flaxseed meal, pumpkin seeds optional, perfect for sneaking in nutrition
- 1/3 C honey
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 C dried cranberries, chocolate chips optional, after baking add ins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and set oven racks in the middle.
- Mix the oats, nuts, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix in flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds, if using.
- Over medium low heat, mix the butter and honey in a large pot. Once well combined, remove the pot from the heat and add in the vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the pot of butter and honey and mix until well combined.
- Spread the the granola evenly on two large rimmed baking sheets.
- The baking sheets may not fit on the same rack in the oven but it's okay to place them on different racks. Bake for 7 minutes. Switch the baking sheet positions. Bake for another 7 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let the granola cool.
- After the granola cools, add in dried cranberries and chocolate chips, if desired. Store in airtight container.
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe Honey Almond Granola
