Homemade granola is so much healthier than shop-bought, you can decide exactly what you want to include in the recipe and it only takes 10 minutes of your precious time to prepare.
Avoiding refined sugars, this healthy granola is sweetened using only date syrup – that only takes a few seconds to make – and a tiny drop of maple syrup, so it’s high in nutrients, low in fat and absolutely bursting with superfoods!
Delicious for breakfast with coconut or almond milk and fresh fruit, or straight from the jar as a healthy snack – once you try this for yourself you’ll never want to buy a pre-made granola again. This recipe is crunchy, naturally sweet (it almost tastes like plum crumble!), slightly sticky and layered with different textures and flavours.
Healthy plum and pecan granola will give you:
- a morning energy boost from all the superfood nuts and seeds;
- vitamin E from the hazelnuts, to help your skin look its best in this cold weather;
- zinc from the pecans and pumpkin seeds, for good immunity and healing;
- vitamin C from the plums, for immunity and increased iron absorption;
- all the health and beauty benefits of raw, unrefined coconut oil; and
- a whole week of breakfasts!
It will keep for a week in an airtight container, so you can cook up a batch on a Sunday morning and have your weekday breakfasts prepped in advance, which ticks off at least one of my new year intentions to be more breakfast-organised.
- 3 plums
- 300g rolled oats
- 50g pecans
- 50g hazelnuts
- 25g sesame seeds
- 25g pumpkin seeds
- 40g dessicated or flaked coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch Himalayan pink salt (or other good salt)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 10g coconut oil (about 1 tsp solid)
- 5 dates, pitted
- 50ml + 1 tbsp water
- Optional: 50g dried fruit such as goji berries, sour cherries or sultanas
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Chop the plums into small chunks and heat in a saucepan with the maple syrup, 1 tbsp of water, coconut oil, cinnamon and ginger. Leave to simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, they should be softened but not puréed.
- Process the dates and the remaining water until roughly combined.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl (minus the dried fruit, if you are using it) and mix together with the date syrup and plums.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread the granola mixture out as evenly as possible, preferably in one layer.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring once to ensure even cooking.
- If you are using dried fruit, stir this through once you remove the granola from the oven.
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Can be made gluten free with gluten free oats.
Emi says
07/01/2015 at 7:02 pmI would eat this entire thing in one sitting. I have no self control when it comes to home made granola. NOM!
Laura @ The Whole Ingredient says
07/01/2015 at 7:39 pmI know! It’s hard to be controlled around granola – especially when it’s just sitting there in a tub 😉 But any excuse to make more!
Mandy says
08/01/2015 at 5:31 amThis sounds so wonderful! And your photos are beautiful! Adding this to my “recipes to try” – can’t wait!
Laura @ The Whole Ingredient says
08/01/2015 at 11:51 amThank you Mandy! I hope you enjoy it. Trying to photograph food well in a dark house in the winter is certainly a challenge, to say the least!