Making homemade granola fills your home with the most amazing scents, and it’s incredibly easy.  

I often make a batch on Sunday and use different seasonings to mix up the flavor depending upon the time of year.  The recipe below is an example of one good standby, it uses less sweeteners (such as sugar or honey) and other seasonings such as orange zest.

2 Cups (200 g) of Rolled Oats (substitute Buckwheat Oats if Gluten Free)
1 Cup (100 g) of Chopped Raw Almonds
1 Cup (100 g) of Chopped Raw Cashews
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
ground cinnamon
zest from 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 TBSP honey or pure maple syrup, warmed (or substitute the same quantity of date syrup)

1/2 cup of dried apricots
1/2 cup of dried cherries (or cranberries)
1/4 cup of mixed seeds (such as linseed, sunflower and flax)

1. Preheat oven to 120 C or 250 F (a low heat is important to slowly roast the oats and nuts).

2. Spread the rolled oats evenly on a baking sheet, which you could place on top of baking parchment.   Add the chopped almonds, cashews, cinnamon and orange zest.

3. Add the vanilla bean paste to the warm honey (syrup or date paste.)  Use a spoon to mix then spread over evenly the oat mixture.   Place the batch in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes (keep an eye on the granola to prevent browning.)

4. While the granola is roasting, chop the dried fruit (apricots, cherries or dried cranberries)

5. Once the granola has finished roasting, remove it from the oven and add the chopped fruit (apricots, cherries, or cranberries.)  Also spread the seeds across the top.

6. Place in an airtight container and enjoy throughout the week.  I use mine on yogurt or a small amount with some milk.  It’s also wonderful with poached fruit for an evening dessert.