One breakfast/snack item you can meal prep is my fruit on the bottom yogurt cup. I love to top my yogurt cups with granola.
You can buy granola from the store or you can make your own. When you make your own, you can control the ingredients in your granola. You can also control how much sweetener you put in your granola.
This granola is a great one because it is very versatile. I have given you 5 different flavor combinations that are all very tasty.
I portion out the granola for the week. If you get the 4 ounce Mason jars and fill it up to the lip, that is the perfect amount of granola.
What you need for this recipe:
- Oats
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Your favorite nuts or seeds (pumpkin or sunflower)
- Dried or freeze-dried fruit
- Spices
- Salt
- Butter, coconut oil, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- Honey or maple syrup
- Vanilla or almond extract
Basic Loose Granola Recipe
Stars of the recipe:
Dry Ingredients:
- 4 c. old fashioned oats
- 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes or additional nuts
- 1 c. nuts or seeds
- 1 c. dried or freeze-dried fruit – add after baking
- 2 tsp. spices – cinnamon, pumpkin spice, gingerbread spice
- 1 tsp. salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/3 c. melted butter, melted coconut oil, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1/3 c. honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla or almond extract
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients except for the fruit in a large bowl. Stir
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir until all of the ingredients are coated.
- Spread onto a cookie sheet that has either been sprayed down with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Take out of the oven. Allow cooling time before adding the fruit.
- Enjoy with your favorite dairy or nondairy milk or yogurt.
- Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Ideas for granola:
Nuts and seeds:
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Macadamia Nuts
- Almonds – Slivers or slices
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
Dried Fruit or Freeze-Dried Fruit:
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Cherries – usually more expensive
- Raspberries
- Freeze-dried honey crisp apples from Trader Joe’s
- Freeze-dried grapes from Trader Joe’s
- Apricots
- Raisins
Combinations for granola:
Apple crisp
Nuts – Walnuts and pumpkin seeds
Fruit – Used dried apples – I like dried apples in my apple crisp granola.
Spice – Apple pie spice which is 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. allspice combined in a small Mason jar. Use 1 to 2 Tbsp. of the apple pie spice blend.
Cranberry pecan
Nuts – Pecans and pumpkin seeds – Don’t use coconut flakes.
Fruit – Dried cranberries.
Spice – Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Almond Joy
Nuts – Slivered or sliced almonds
Fruit – Don’t use any.
Spice – Cinnamon
Extract – Almond
Apricot almond
Nuts – Slivered or sliced almonds
Fruit – Diced dried apricots
Spice – Cinnamon
Pumpkin spice
Nuts – Walnuts and pumpkin seeds
Fruit – dried cranberries or raisins
Spice – pumpkin spice
Extra – Add ¼ c. of pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients.
Stay kind!
