Granola has the reputation of being a health food, but many recipes are so high in fat and calories that the nutritional downfalls end up weighing out the rewards. I eat granola everyday, which is is why I prefer to make granola at home and scale back some of the sugar and fat without sacrificing good taste.

Sugar carries the flavor in granola and cannot be left out. I have found that 1/2 cup of a natural sweetner like honey or pure maple syrup is plenty to sweeten the granola while not completely disrupting your blood/sugar levels. Plus, if you add dried fruit, or eat the granola with fresh berries and yogurt, this will add extra sweetness too.

Some low-fat granola recipes use no oil, or substitute applesauce or juice for the oil, but I find a small amount of oil helps to crisp the oats and prolong the shelf life. Plus, oil and fat are essential to our overall health, we simply need to choose the correct ones. Coconut and olive oil are both great choices since they lower cholesterol, promote heart-health, and taste great.

Nuts, seeds, coconut and other add-ins are common to find in granola, and personally I love anything jam packed with stuff, but these items also contain high amounts of fat. I don’t leave them out entirely, instead they are scaled back so the flavor and texture are still there minus the abundance of fat and calories.

Everyday Granola
Makes about 4 cups

This granola is great served over lightly sweetened yogurt and fresh berries.

3 cups old fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats (sometimes I use a combination of the two and it tastes real nice)
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup seeds (optional)
1/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. Place all ingredients, except for dried fruit, in a large bowl and mix to combine. Place on lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet and bake until everything is golden brown, anywhere from 35-45 minutes. Stir mixture a few times to promote even browning and check for doneness. Once mixture is cool, stir in dried fruit, if using, and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.