Finding products made the way you want them isn't always easy.
I played around and made my own organic granola a few years back using only nuts and seeds, no oats, which most granola contains. Lightly salty, mildly sweet.
Many of the cleaner granola blends you can buy use coconut oil but
I didn't want the coconut flavor and
I'm personally trying to keep my saturated fat content lower.
Sharing my recipe below - I can't stop snacking on them!
𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
1 c. almonds
1 c. cashews
1 c. pecans
1 c. pistachios
1 c. walnuts
½ c. pumpkin seeds
¼ c. hemp hearts/seeds
2 T. chia seeds
2 T. flaxseed meal
2 t. cinnamon
¾-1 t. salt
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ c. maple syrup
2 t. pure vanilla extract
Optional: dried cranberries, bing cherries or any dried fruit for some tartness
𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
Honestly, I usually don’t measure when I make it but put some guidelines above to help. Any combination you prefer works fine. You can even just taste and adjust before you pop it in the oven!
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees
mix dry ingredients in large bowl (I use a food processor to give a rough chop if using whole nuts)
add wet ingredients to a pan, stir and warm slightly; pour over dry ingredients and mix well
spread on parchment paper-lined sheet pan and press down; don’t overcrowd
bake for ~30-35 min
let cool for at least 20 minutes before storing in airtight container at room temperature; lasts for weeks