Sooooo, I know I’m completely off-season with this recipe because the flavours and profile just scream winter comfort food, BUT, I try not to think of homemade granola as a seasonal snack because it is literally one of my biggest weaknesses. And I embarrassingly consume it in amounts that stretch far beyond a normal portion size. But yolo.
Many of you know, I’m sure, that my weakness is for foods that are both crunchy and savoury (i.e., I can make a bag of chips disappear in two seconds flat). And I’m happy to share that this warm, toasted, and spiced homemade granola hits BOTH of those notes.
Suffice to say, I’m in trouble whenever I’ve got a fresh batch.
I do appreciate, though, the smell of nutmeg and cinnamon that fills up the house when I’ve got some cooking in the oven. It reminds me of all the comfort foods we prepare around the holidays and enjoy together as we watch our favourite movies and shows.
Lately my heartmate and I have been hooked on our Sunday-night favourites that we end up TV show bingeing AND snack bingeing. We have Rogers Ignite TV which has literally been a game changer for us, especially since prior to getting setup with Ignite TV, we hadn’t had any cable at all. Just a Netflix account that can quickly run dry after you’ve watched all the originals and you’re on your 8th re-run of the entire Friends series.
So now we actually pre-record all of our favourite shows that play during the week, and let them build up for a good Sunday night binge! And this warm and toasty, home-made granola is the perfect binge-worthy snack to accompany.
How to Make Your Own Home-Made Cinnamon Spiced Granola
Homemade Cinnamon Spiced Granola
This homemade granola recipe is both vegan and gluten free. It has hints on holiday seasonings with ground nutmeg and cinnamon, though I like to enjoy it all year round.
- 6 cups large flake oats (organic where possible)
- 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 cups raw organic almonds
- 1.5 cups walnuts
- 1.5 cups pecans
- 2 cups maple syrup
- 1/2 cup raw unpasteurized honey
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups dried cranberries (or sub other dried fruit of preference)
- 1 cup hemp hearts
- 1 cup chia seeds
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Line one extra large baking sheet (or two medium-large sizewith parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together your large flake oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, and pecans.
- In a medium bowl, combine your wet ingredients: maple syrup, honey, and vanilla extract. Next add your cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour your mixture over your oat and nut mix, and using a spatula mix thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
- Next, evenly divide your granola across your two baking sheets using your spatula to even out your mixture to about 1 inch in height.
- Bake for no more than 30 minutes, stirring and mixing every ten minutes. If at the 20 minute mark your mixture is looking a little dry, feel free to add an extra glug or two of honey and spread evenly across the top.
- Once golden-brown in colour, pull trays out of oven and let cool before adding your dried cranberries, hemp hearts and chia seeds. Mix everything once more with a wooden spoon and enjoy!
Best enjoyed when fresh out of the oven. However, this granola stores well in a sealed container at room temperature for about two months. If storing for longer, the granola freezes well, too, for up to six months.
Nick Joly | Inspired by Nick
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