This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Mama needs some moula to keep this lil blog a truckin’ so thank you for your support. Xo.
My husband is obsessed with this granola. He eats it for snack nearly every day. It’s one of his favourite recipes I make, it’s that good! It’s crunchy, clustery, and just sweet enough. Try it out for size, I’m pretty sure you’ll think this granola is just as amazing as he does.
My Honey Spiced Granola is the perfect addition to your breakfast routine. Or your midnight snack routine. almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts in this recipe and they are all delicious. This recipe is all about mixing and matching, so use whatever you love. If you hate coconut, add in more oats or nuts. And if you’re feeling extra healthy, throw some flax seeds in there. The sky’s the limit here. Since my hubs is a chocolate-lover, I add some chocolate chips at the end, but it’s perfectly delicious with just dried fruit. I love to use a combination of dried cherries, mango, apricot, and/or cranberries. Again, use whatever fruit tickles your fancy. Go crazy, there’s no wrong answers here.
Honey vs. maple syrup
I have experimented with both honey and maple syrup in this recipe and the clear winner to me is honey. Honey is thicker and stickier than maple syrup so I find that it helps the granola crisp up a bit more than maple syrup. I also find that it greatly helps with the clusteriness (sp?) of the granola and, I mean, we’re all here for the clusters aren’t we? That being said, I know that honey is not a plant-based product so if you are looking for a vegan-friendly option, maple syrup in place of the honey works just fine and is still absolutely delicious.
This granola is delicious on yogurt, with fruit, or as a bowl of cereal. You really can’t go wrong. My absolute favourite way to eat this granola is to layer it with yogurt and macerated fruit.
Macerated fruit, baby.
To make macerated fruit, place 1 cup of your favourite sliced fruit in a bowl and sprinkle over 1 – 2 teaspoons of your favourite sugar. If you’re feeling wild, add in some lemon zest and chopped mint leaves (highly recommend) for extra flavour. Let your mixture chill out on the counter for 20 minutes and voilà! Thanks to science, now you have some gorgeous macerated fruit. The added sugar allows the fruit to release its juices to make a delicious fruity sauce. I use macerated fruit for everything from cocktails to a waffle topping, it’s so yummy.
Pro tip: When I’m not shovelling this granola into my face, I absolutely love to give this granola as a gift. It’s the perfect gift because it packs and travels so well. And who doesn’t love homemade granola?? Pop it in a cute jar or container and tie it with twine (obvs) and your gift is ready!
Check out the recipe video below for a tutorial on how to make this crunchy granola:
Honey Spiced Granola with Nuts and Fruit
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup nuts* chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup honey**
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup dried fruit*** chopped if large
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, salt and spices. Stir to evenly distribute ingredients.
- Pour in the oil, honey and vanilla. Mix well, until ingredients are lightly coated.
- Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes then remove pan from oven and stir granola. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes.
- Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed, about 2 hours.
- Break the granola into pieces with your hands, leaving some bigger clusters if you like it like that. Top with the dried fruit and chocolate, if using.
- Transfer to an airtight container. Granola will be crunchiest if eaten within 1 week but will keep for up to 2 weeks.
