Crunchy Granola - 3 ways

This quick and easy crunchy granola recipe will keep for weeks in a sealed container, not that you'll need to - it's too tasty to last long!

The best thing about this granola is that you can add whatever extra ingredients you like to the base recipe. I've given you three suggestions at the bottom of this post.

Homemade granola is a fabulous breakfast option for children and adults, not to mention snacks and self serve breakfast platters too!

There are a lot of seeds in this recipe, and my children aren't keen on eating something that looks quite so healthy - so this is why I've added in the step of blitzing the ingredients in a food processor first to break up the seeds and disguise them a bit. This has the added benefit of helping the mixture clump together when you add the liquid ingredients, and those clumps then toast up into delicious crunchy clusters in the oven.

Ingredients

1 cup of sunflower seeds (or a mix of sunflower, pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup linseed

2 cups oats 

1/2 cup apple juice

2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil (or coconut oil, or other oil of your choice)

2 tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup

 

Start off by adding the seeds to a blender or food processor and blitz for 1-2 seconds, just enough to break up the seeds a bit. Add the oats to the blender and shake well to distribute through the seeds. Blitz the oat & seed mix for a further 2 seconds to break up the oats a little. It's likely that some oats will break up fully while most will remain whole - that's perfect. 

Have you some little helpers? Now is the time to get the kids involved....

Add the oat and seed mix to a bowl and measure in the other ingredients. Mix well (these utensils are great for little hands) until oats and seed mixture is thoroughly dampened and forms some clumps. Pour the mix onto a non-stick baking tray and spread out loosely, leaving plenty of small clumps.

Bake in an oven at 160C for about 30mins, removing from oven at least two times during baking to toss as it will begin to brown on top. You will want the granola to get quite crunchy without burning. For best results, switch off the oven and leave the oven door ajar (try placing a folded tea towel in the door in it won't stay open on its own) and let the granola cool down in the oven.

Once the granola is fully cooled and totally crunchy, you can choose to add your extra flavours, or leave plain - whichever you fancy!

Try these great flavour suggestions. To your base of crunchy granola, mix in 1 cup of:

- crushed hazelnuts and dried banana (this is my fav dried banana - it tastes like caramel!)

- soft dried apricots (chopped) plus zest of 1 orange

- Cacao nibs & flaked almonds

All three are delicious! 

Serve with greek yogurt and a pretty spoon to brighten your mornings!

Like these ingredients? You might enjoy this flapjack recipe too...