Easy Farmhouse Granola Recipe

Gavin is a huge fan of granola. He loves is not just for breakfast but as a snack at any time of the day. We are trying to maintain a healthy diet and cut down on processed sugar so I thought it might be fun to investigate a granola recipe that uses less sugary options than the store-bought versions.

Let me start by saying this granola recipe wasn’t the most economical to make. I needed to buy most of the ingredients as I don’t keep them on hand. However, now I have them, the cost will be less next time. And believe me, there will be a next time. The maple syrup and cinnamon was a BIG hit. When I started the search for a granola recipe, it was quite difficult to find one that gave quantities, so I was pretty much eyeballing the whole thing. I’ve tried to include quantities as a guide for you but you may need to adjust the ingredients if you feel the mix is too dry/wet before baking.

What You Need for this Farmhouse Granola Recipe

• 3 cups of rolled oats. I used the cheap non-brand variety
• 1/2 cup coconut or extra virgin olive oil. I used a blend of both
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup raisins and sultanas
• 1 cup of dried apples
• 1 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla

Many of the recipes I read added salt to this but I left it out. It’s up to you if you want to add extra salt. Some recipes also called for the oats to be soaked. I did not do this.

How to Make the Granola

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Melt the coconut oil and then add the olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. They should stick together but not be too wet. The first batch I made was too dry as I was guessing the amounts. When I back it there were no clumps but it still tasted delicious

• Tip the mixture onto a lined baking tray and press down. The mixture needs to be close enough to stick together a little but not too close as you want it to dry out and toast.
• Bake at 180c for around 20-25 mins. Make sure you stir it a little at about the ten minute mark. I found the edges browned quickly but the centre was still moist. If you stir the edges into the middle it will help brown evenly.
• Once the mixture looks dry and lightly golden take it out and leave it to cool.

Storing and Serving Granola

For the longest shelf life, completely cool the granola on the pan before transferring to a container. When stored in an airtight container, this granola will keep for up to a month.

Eat it like cereal with milk or sprinkle over yoghurt for a simple breakfast you can take anywhere. Try this recipe straight up or tweak it slightly using different sweeteners, seasonings, or swapping the nuts or fruit for your favourite. With this simple easy granola, the possibilities are almost endless.