Wholesome Granola (Sweetened with Applesauce!)- Slender Kitchen

I’d be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t a bit of bit obsessive about this More healthy Do-it-yourself Granola. It’s wholesome, satisfying, straightforward to make, and tremendous customizable. Whether or not you want your granola candy, salty, nutty, fruity, or crunchy, that is the type of dish which you can tweak to suit any craving.

This wholesome granola recipe is well my favourite granola recipe I’ve tried to this point. It’s made with easy, healthful elements that style wonderful and make you’re feeling nice. I really like munching on this by the handful or including it to Greek yogurt bowls.

Retailer-bought granolas are usually extremely misleading, with a great deal of hidden sugars and synthetic elements. Nevertheless, it can save you cash and make a a lot more healthy model by making granola at house. This scrumptious granola is sweetened with applesauce and constructed from elements that you probably have already got in your pantry.

Granola can also be good for meal prep. You may make an enormous batch on Sunday and retailer it for breakfasts and snacks all through the week. Sprinkle it on high of yogurt bowls and smoothies, combine it right into a bowl of recent fruit, or add almond milk for a wholesome cereal. The choices are infinite!

Why You will Love This Wholesome Granola

• Sweetened with applesauce: As an alternative of being filled with sugar like conventional granola, the key to creating a lighter however nonetheless candy granola is to make use of applesauce. It provides sweetness and a scrumptious apple taste that’s good for fall.
• Customizable: Make this granola with all of your favourite mixtures of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, spices, and extra. The choices are infinite.
• Excessive protein choices: Conventional granola is normally low in protein, however this recipe can simply be custom-made so as to add protein.

Key Substances

To make this 30-minute wholesome granola, you’ll need the next key elements:

• Old style oats: Additionally known as rolled oats, these are a incredible supply of protein and fiber. They’re additionally the principle ingredient in virtually any granola recipe! Ensure that to quaint rolled oats and never fast cooking, immediate, or metal minimize oats. 
• Nuts: For tons of wholesome fat, be happy to make use of any sort of nuts you like. A few of my favourite selections embrace almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios.
• Chia Seeds: These tiny seeds are filled with useful vitamins, omega-3s, fiber, and protein, making them an exquisite addition to our home made granola. You could possibly additionally add flax seeds.
• Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is a incredible supply of soluble fiber and helps to keep up wholesome blood sugar ranges. It additionally provides a scrumptious, naturally candy taste!
• Coconut oil: Not solely is that this an exquisite supply of wholesome fat, however it additionally helps the remainder of our granola elements stick to one another. Be at liberty to swap in olive oil.
• Maple syrup: This pure sweetener provides the proper contact of sweetness to reinforce the flavors of our granola elements. Be at liberty to swap it out for honey or agave, if wanted.
• Dried fruit. That is the place it will get enjoyable! You possibly can add any sort of dried fruit you want. A few of my high selections embrace cranberries, blueberries, cherries, shredded coconut, dates, apricots, and pineapples.
• Spices: Dried spices are a good way so as to add taste to home made granola. Add cinnamon, dried ginger, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or chai spice.

How one can Make Do-it-yourself Granola

Observe these steps to make crunchy, scrumptious granola each time.

1. Put together the Moist Substances

In a small saucepan over medium warmth, mix the applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Cook dinner for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring sometimes, till easy and effectively mixed.

Tip: Keep away from boiling the combination—simply heat it sufficient to soften the coconut oil and mix the elements.

2. Combine the Dry Substances and Mix with Moist Substances

In a big bowl, toss collectively the oats, nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the applesauce combination over the dry elements and stir till all the things is evenly coated.

Tip: Use a spatula or your palms (as soon as cooled) to make sure thorough mixing.

3. Unfold the Granola and Bake

Unfold the granola evenly onto the ready baking sheet in a layer about ½ inch thick. Bake for 25 to half-hour, till frivolously browned and aromatic.

Tip: Stir midway by means of for even toasting, or go away it undisturbed for chunkier clusters. Watch the sides as they brown quicker.

4. Let It Cool and Add Dried Fruit

Let the granola cool on the baking sheet for not less than half-hour to harden and develop into crispy. As soon as totally cooled, break it into chunks and toss with dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.

Tip: Don’t stir whereas cooling to assist type these crunchy clusters.

5. Retailer Your Granola

Switch the granola to an hermetic container, the place it should keep recent for about two weeks.

Tip: Freeze for as much as three months and thaw earlier than serving for longer storage.

How do I preserve my granola crunchy?

Scorching temperatures trigger nuts, oats, and seeds to burn earlier than they’ve an opportunity to get good and crispy. In the event you’re having bother conserving your granola crunchy, attempt baking it at a decrease temperature and stirring it typically.

Additionally, be sure you’re letting your granola cool solely earlier than consuming. Nearly all granola comes out of the oven on the softer aspect, however it should proceed to crisp because it cools.

Including Protein to Granola

1. Add Nuts and Seeds

Incorporate protein-packed nuts, akin to almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, walnuts, or cashews, and seeds, akin to pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or hemp hearts. These not solely enhance protein but additionally add crunch and wholesome fat.

Tip: Add the nuts and seeds to the dry elements earlier than baking to make sure they roast evenly and develop into further crunchy.

2. Combine in Nut Butter

Stir peanut, almond, or cashew butter into the moist elements. This provides protein and helps bind the granola, giving it a wealthy, nutty taste.

Tip: Warmth the nut butter barely with the moist elements so it combines easily earlier than mixing with the dry elements.

3. Use Protein Powder

Combine protein powder into your dry elements earlier than combining them with the moist elements. This ensures the powder is evenly distributed all through the granola. If the protein powder tends to be chalky, add it to the moist elements so it totally dissolves. 

Tip: If utilizing whey protein or different delicate powders, bake at a decrease temperature (round 300°F) to forestall the protein from denaturing or giving the granola a burnt taste. 

4. Add Quinoa

Pre-cooked quinoa provides a crunchy texture and further protein. You possibly can combine it into the dry elements or sprinkle it over the granola earlier than baking.

Tip: Ensure that the quinoa is totally cooked and dry earlier than including it to keep away from sogginess.

5. Incorporate Greek Yogurt After Baking

Serve your granola with a dollop of Greek yogurt. This protein-packed deal with pairs completely with the crunchy texture.

6. Stir in Collagen Peptides

Collagen peptides are a tasteless protein supply that dissolve simply. Stir them into the moist elements for a protein enhance with out altering the feel.

7. Add Pulsed Lentils or Chickpeas

Roasted, pulsed lentils or chickpeas add a stunning quantity of protein and crunch to granola. Merely pulse them frivolously in a meals processor and blend them in with the oats.

Tip: Roast the chickpeas or lentils individually earlier than including to the granola to make sure they’re crispy and never mushy. Or use store-bought crunchy chickpeas. 

8. Toss in Protein-Wealthy Grains

Grains like amaranth, buckwheat, or teff comprise extra protein than oats alone. Combine these into your granola to spice up its protein content material.

Tip: Toast the grains frivolously earlier than including to the combination to reinforce their taste and crunch.

Wholesome Granola Recipe Ideas

Listed below are a few of my high suggestions that can assist you make one of the best home made granola:

• Make it clumpy: My favourite elements of granola are the entire large clumps of scrumptious oats and nuts. So, to make sure this dish comes out further clumpy, mix the oat combination right into a single cluster about 1 inch thick. Bake for about quarter-hour, then break the cluster into smaller, chunky clumps and proceed baking.
• Wait so as to add your fruit. Nothing will wreck a batch of granola quicker than a mouthful of crispy, burnt fruit. In the event you stir your dried fruit into the granola after it’s cooling, it should keep gentle and chewy.
• Give it time to chill. I understand how tempting it’s to start out munching when your granola comes out of the oven. Nevertheless, it should proceed to crisp because it cools, so that you’ll need to go away it alone for about quarter-hour. This can be sure that your granola seems further crispy and further scrumptious.
• Add chocolate chips. Do I really want to elaborate on this one? Let’s be sincere, chocolate makes all the things higher.
• Don’t skip the salt. Salt is the important thing to enhancing this dish’s different flavors, so don’t go away it out. Sea salt is my most well-liked choice or kosher salt. 

How one can Serve Wholesome Granola

I really like this dish due to how versatile it’s. Listed below are a few of my favourite methods to get pleasure from home made granola:

Do-it-yourself Granola Storage Ideas

This wholesome, home made granola dish is the proper make-ahead recipe. As a result of it’s really easy to make, I extremely advocate doubling the batch and saving the remainder for later. To retailer, permit your home made granola to chill fully, then seal it in an hermetic storage container. 

• On the counter for as much as 2-3 months.
• Within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

I don’t advocate refrigerating your home made granola, because the moisture could cause your granola to develop into soggy.