We went through three big boxes of the store-bought version of this granola every week, and it was full of sugar. I finally settled on this homemade recipe.
It’s as low in fat as I can get a granola without sacrificing flavour and texture, it’s sweetened with honey, and even better, it’s full of healthy coconut and sunflower seeds. I eat it sprinkled on top of blueberries and yogurt, with a drizzle of honey or a dash of stevia.
Makes 8 to 9 cups
Ingredients
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp coconut oil
2/3 cup + 1 tbsp honey
3/4 cup sunflower seed butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
7 cups quick-cooking or large-flake rolled oats
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Method
In large pot, melt coconut oil and honey over low-medium heat. Add sunflower seed butter and whisk together until combined. Add cinnamon and salt and whisk again.
Remove from heat (the honey and oil can burn easily, so don’t take any chances). Pour in oats and coconut and mix together with sturdy spoon, making sure to incorporate honey mixture from bottom of pot.
Evenly spread granola mixture over parchment-lined pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir granola so that bottom bits are well incorporated and don’t burn. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside so granola cools and crisps up.
Add hemp seeds, flaxseeds, raisins and walnuts, if desired, and mix together until well combined. Store in airtight container for 4 or 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
* A note about sunflower seed butter: you can buy it at the store, but if you have a food processor, it’s easy and less expensive to make your own. Simply process about 2 cups of the shelled seeds at a time (roasted or raw — it’s doesn’t matter) for 2-3 minutes, occasionally scraping down the bowl, until you have a reasonably smooth butter; it’s okay if it’s a bit crumbly. Store the butter in the fridge.
Tip
You can use store-bought sunflower seed butter, but if you have a food processor, it’s easy and less expensive to make your own. Simply process about 2 cups of the shelled seeds at a time (it doesn’t matter if the seeds are roasted or raw) for 2 to 3 minutes, occasionally scraping down the bowl, until you have a reasonably smooth butter. It’s OK if it’s a bit crumbly. Store in the fridge.
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Latham Hunter is a writer and professor. As a mother of five kids with varying dietary needs, she’s been working on gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian cooking for as long as she can remember. She focuses on sustainable, healthy ingredients, particularly organic, plant-based meals.
