Vanilla+Cardamom Granola

Making homemade granola is a nice, cozy activity that is also ridiculously easy. A pan of this granola slowly caramelizing in the oven will make your whole apartment smell great and make you feel nice about doing something healthy and delicious for yourself. In general I think you shouldn’t multitask too much when you’re cooking, but I find things like granola and soup to be very nice things to cook while you’re also doing something else. Put some granola in the oven and then plop yourself at the kitchen table to work on a project or just pay bills. Work a little, stir your granola a little, work a little more. Have some tea or some wine. Soak up the hygge.

Unlike store-bought versions that are mostly simple carbs, this granola is super healthy and not loaded with too much sugar.  It’s got healthy fat (good for both what’s in your head and on your head),complex carbs, fiber, and protein. All of those things mean that this is a granola that will actually keep you full until lunch. (Or, your 11 a.m. snack, if you are me.) It is a little on the sweet side, because I personally like to be able to eat it with plain Greek yogurt and nothing else–and let’s be honest, Greek yogurt is kind of gross–but if you’re better at having fresh fruit and such on hand you can certainly ease up on the sweetener.

 

You can use this framework with almost any combination of spices, nuts, sweeteners, seeds, etc. that you like. It’s delicious with fresh or dried fruit added (I like a dried mango/blueberry mix I get from Trader Joe’s, or fresh raspberries and blueberries) but it also works great on its own.

You’ll need: A large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, 1-2 cookie sheets*, cooking spray or parchment paper, measuring cups and spoons, a spatula.

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup pecans
  • ½ cup walnuts or slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cardamom
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 egg white

Optional:

  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup dried fruit

 

Pre-heat your oven to 300. Combine everything except the dried fruit in a large bowl and stir very thoroughly. Spread mixture onto two baking sheets* (parchment paper is very useful here, but if you don’t have it on hand the granola does contain enough oil that you should not need to grease the pans). Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Cool, add dried fruit if using, store in an airtight container.

 

*I have fit this whole recipe onto one sheet before, and it kinda works….you just won’t get granola that is as crunchy or evenly toasted.  You can also work in batches but that might defeat the weeknight ease of the recipe. I recommend spreading the recipe on two sheets. Just get some parchment paper and never do dishes again.

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