Super Simple Granola (No oil!)
The search for the perfect granola recipe is a unique search for everyone. For some, their priorities are cheap ingredients so they can make a big batch for their large family. For others, it’s one that has low sugar. For me, it’s one that doesn’t have oil, but is still clustery. Are you team cluster or no cluster? Either way, you can make this just the way you like granola to be! But I love me some clusters.
Granola made without oil is obviously lower-calorie and low-fat. Oil is a controversial topic. Fat is important, but oil is not a good way to get fat. It is full of empty calories and should be avoided when possible. (For more on this topic, see this article which links to more research). Not that I’m very good at avoiding oil completely…but I try. And with this oil-free granola you won’t even know what you’re missin’.
If you’re not digging the lower fat granola idea, try my peanut butter granola, coming soon!
A heart-healthy breakfast or snack, full of whole grains and whatever else you like.
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (or more!) chopped nuts and seeds of choice (almonds and sesame seeds are my favorites)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup maple syrup (or honey) (the maple flavor is delicious!)
- 1 cup dried fruit of choice (cranberries, coconut, raisins, dried apricot, dried cherries)
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (The parchment paper is important, since there is no oil to prevent sticking. If you don't have any, grease your cookie sheet well.)
Stir dry ingredients together. Stir in honey or maple syrup until it seems every oat has some honey on it.
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Press mixture onto parchment paper. If you like clusters, press this mixture together firmly. If you like your granola more loose, spread the mixture out thin and do not press down.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely before touching it. Once completely cool (at least 30 minutes), break apart into clusters and stir in dried fruit.
Stores well in jars or zip lock bags at room temperature.
This inspired me to try a peanut butter version (since I loooove peanut butter). This was my recipe (roughly):
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
salt
cinammon
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
I went with more oats and less maple syrup, since I wanted to cut back on the sweetness. With the peanut butter and flour/water mixture, it gets quite sticky and clumps up very well. I cooked it for 30 minutes at 375, which ended up being a bit too much. 20-25 minutes probably would have been good, with a turn-over halfway through. One of my children’s friends (VERY picky eater) just came through the kitchen and sampled it. He said it was delicious!
My wife has typically made her granola with some coconut oil, but I think this can replace her recipe quite nicely. 🙂
Wow, that does sound delicious! I’d say if a picky kid liked it, it’s a keeper! Thank you for sharing! A little bit of fat from the peanut butter does make for a more crispy, substantial granola.
I’m always looking for a no-oil granola, and this one is very good. I have reduced the maple syrup and substituted with apple juice, which gives good sweetness.
I left a comment already, but wanted to added a new twist. I took a medium-sized bag of frozen mixed fruit, thawed it, and put it in the blender with the maple syrup to turn it into a paste. Then I mixed this into the oats mixture. It gives a fruity granola and adds much nutrition.
This is great to know! I don’t like how much maple syrup it takes to coat the oats, so this is a great way to dilute it. I’ll try it! Probably with banana since they’re free and sweet.
This was my first time making granola. I used almonds and sesame seeds for the nuts and then crasins and shredded coconut for the dried fruit. My oven tends to run cold so I needed to bake an additional 5 minutes until mine was golden brown. I didn’t realize it until it was too late, but I also accidentally stirred in the dried fruit and baked it with the granola. The toasted coconut was good though and the cranberries weren’t ruined at all.
I love the taste. My kids are scarfing it down with me right now.
Thanks so much for the comment! Toasted coconut is so good. Sometimes fruit can burn but glad yours didn’t.