Homemade Granola
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Homemade granola is a delicious snack recipe that is simple to make and perfect for on the go!
Homemade granola is one of my favorite things to make because it’s delicious, healthy, and super easy to modify. We use it for travel snacks, as cereal, and a yummy topping for yogurt or ice cream.
If you love our homemade granola, you’ll also want to check out our other travel ready snacks like peanut butter granola, trail mix, and fruit roll ups!
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This homemade granola article is a sponsored conversation between Mama Loves Food and Megabus. All opinions are our own.
Homemade Granola Ingredients
- Oats – Make sure you don’t get the quick cooking kind, you’ll want to look for the oats that are usually labeled “old fashioned”. If they say quick cooking, or instant, they’re not what you want.
- Applesauce – Applesauce lends sweetness, flavor, and some healthy vitamins, minerals, and fiber!
- Vanilla – You’ll want real vanilla extract for this recipe. Don’t use the imitation vanilla as you won’t get the same flavor result.
- Honey – Honey is both a binder and sweetener, we like to try different honeys that we pick up from the places we travel to!
- Oil – I prefer to use a good olive oil, but regular vegetable oil will work just fine too!
- Sugar – Brown sugar is my favorite, it’s more full flavored and is perfect in this recipe.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a must in this granola recipe!
- Coconut – Unsweetened coconut is perfect, it adds flavor and fiber, and goodness without extra sugar. You can usually find it in the baking section.
- Nuts – My favorite nuts to put in this granola are almonds and walnuts, but you can use any nuts you like.
- Dried fruit – Dried cranberries are the best (in my humble opinion), but any dried fruit will work. Raisins are a favorite with my kids.
How to Store Homemade Granola
Granola should be stored in an air tight container in a cool dry place. Homemade granola does not need to be refrigerated. It will last up to two weeks if stored properly.
It is important that the homemade granola has cooled completely before storing it.
Homemade Granola Travel Snack
Now that we have the perfect travel snack, let’s talk adventure!
As you know, one of my favorite things in the world is traveling. Just this summer we visited Vancouver Canada, Hoonah Alaska, Juneau Alaska, Skagway Alaska, Whittier Alaska, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Niagra Falls Canada, St. Catharine’s Canada, and Washington DC!
Family, friends, food, and travel are everything in my life. If I wait too long between trips I start to go a little stir crazy. Which is why I am so excited to discover Megabus!
Homemade Granola on the Megabus
Megabus is the perfect way to have a mini adventure without breaking the bank. Megabus offers city-to-city bus tickets as low as $1 for your travel around the North America, all bookable from your computer or smartphone!
Beyond low price bus tickets and easy travel – customers keep coming back for the well connected North American transportation network and great bus service from the moment you book to when you arrive safely and quickly at your destination. The Megabus model was designed with the customer in mind, and we can’t wait to hit the road with you!
Megabus has major North American transportation hubs around the US and Canada, serving more than 100 different cities and university campuses.
You can explore the most popular routes here.
Win a Trip on the Megabus!
For your chance to win a $40 voucher on the Megabus (enough to cover most round trip routes!), comment below with where you would leave from and where you would head to! (See service stops here).
This contest will run from publish date until 11:59PM 9/23/2018. Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must live in or near cities served by Megabus. No purchase necessary to enter, one entry per person. Contest void where prohibited by law. Winner will be contacted via email.
How Do You Make Granola from Scratch
- First combine oats, nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and cinnamon.
- Then, separately, combine honey, oil, brown sugar and applesauce.
- Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread over a baking sheet and cook at a low temperature until granola is lightly browned.
- Finally, remove from oven & allow to cool. When granola is cooled completely add your dried fruit, and enjoy!
How Do You Make Healthy Granola
The way to make healthy granola is by adding healthy ingredients. Healthy will depend on what type of diet you follow, but this homemade granola recipe is gluten free and full of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also has great protein and healthy fats from the nuts.
If you want to make it less sweet, you can cut the sugar. If you want to add more fruits, nuts, or coconut, have at it! Make this recipe all your own. Sometimes I even add mini chocolate chips for a treat.
How Do You Make Homemade Granola Cereal
Turning homemade granola into homemade granola cereal is as easy as pouring your granola into a bowl and adding milk!
This is one of my very favorite ways to eat granola and it’s especially a perfect option if you are looking for a gluten free cereal choice.
How to Make Homemade Granola Clumpy
The trick to making homemade granola clumpy is to press it down into the pan firmly before baking and not stir it frequently.
Rather than stirring every 30 minutes, try doing a gentle stir only once. It will take slightly longer to cook this way, but you will end up with big delicious granola clumps.
How to Know When Granola is Done
You know that granola is done cooking when it has turned slightly golden brown. Granola will not be crunchy when you first pull it out of the oven, so do not use that as a determining factor.
Once the granola has turned a light golden brown color, removed it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
More like Homemade Granola
- Energy balls
- Peanut butter and jelly hand pies
- Fruit roll ups
- Instant pot hard boiled eggs
- Pumpkin biscuits
Homemade Granola Making Tools
- Bakers half sheet – It’s cool, we only have about six of these bakers half sheets because they’re good for absolutely everything. Cookies? Yes! Steak? Yes! Cake? Oh yeh! Roasted veggies? Uhhhh huh!
- Silicone baking mats – Nothing sticks to these! Whaaaa?! Perfect for baking sugary cookies, or cheesy croissants. You know why? Because nothing sticks to these!!!
How to make Homemade Granola
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 6 cups oats not the quick cooking kind
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons oil I used olive oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine oats, nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and cinnamon.
- In a smaller bowl combine honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.
- Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread over a baking sheet and cook in a 250 degree oven for about 90 minutes, mixing every 30 minutes or so. (You want to remove them when they become a light brown/golden color. They will crisp up after they are completely cooled.)
- Remove from oven & allow to cool. When cooled completely add your dried fruit.
Nutrition
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of megabus.com. The opinions and text are all mine.
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I love that there is a route from Atlanta to DC! And WiFi on board too? That’s pretty awesome. This granola definitely looks like a terrific snack for the road.
OhmyGOSH does this granola look amazing! I’m from the Buffalo, NY area, and I would TOTALLY take the Megabus to see my sister in Richmond, VA!! xoxoxo
I would go from NyC to Washington. I am so close yet I have n never been.
Granola looks yummy
CONGRATS ELIZABETH YOUR NAME WAS RANDOMLY DRAWN! CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR WINNER INFO 🙂
I would love to Megabus it to California or Texas to see family! This looks delish going to make it this weekend! Thank you 😊
I cannot wait to make this granola… I like that you can use it as a base and add what you like! Thank you for such a great blog 🙂 Mega bus…. I would go anywhere from Milwaukee!! I just like to travel even if it’s just day trips!
It looks delicious
Hi April……this looks so good. I think I’m going to make it for my grandson.
This granola looks great! Hmm. I’d probably go somewhere west… CA? AZ?
Love MegaBus. I’ve used them a lot in the UK and in the States. I’d use it to send my college kiddo to his grandparents for a quick weekend visit since we are too far away!
And Yum! I love granola, especially homemade!
I’ve always wanted to go to the Oregon Coast! Your granola looks fantastic. YUM.
I would go from Pittsburgh to New York City!!
I love MegaBus, and have used it often to go from DC to NYC so that’s the route I’d pick!
We love homemade granola at our house both as a cereal and for yogurt parfaits. This looks delicious!
I’d go visit my kids in Philly and then we’d all take the bus to NYC to see a show and do dinner!
Oooo, what a fun contest! I would come see you, April!
oooh the Vegas loop would be fun
I would go from Ottawa to New York city
I love granola. What a great recipe. I would love to take a road trip. I think it would be fun to fly in and use it to explore. So Washington DC to NYC for me.
Hi April! I’ve never made homemade granola, I am missing out. I’d go anywhere, anyplace, and any time.
I love homemade granola – thanks for this delicious recipe – perfect for a road trip! If I won I would take the Megabus from NYC to DC!
Looking forward to this, could flax and pumpkin seeds be added and if so would you need to adjust some of the ingredients?