Homemade school-safe granola is a go-to snack that makes you feel good about what you’re serving your kids.
I can just eat this homemade school-safe granola by the spoonful. I love granola and I thought having a child in school will put a damper on that. Then I tried nut-free granola and it turns out that it’s even better!
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so this granola is not overly sweet and the nuttiness, yes, I said nuttiness, of the seeds adds a wonderful balance to the honey. The optional ingredients are a great way to change up the flavour or add more sweetness.
This recipe is very easy to make too. I always thought that it would be messy and time-consuming but all the magic happens in one bowl and in the oven.
The other thing that we shouldn’t forget is just how healthy granola is. It is a great way to add some protein, fat, and fiber to your snack or breakfast.
Preparing Nut-Free Homemade Granola
Ingredients
Rolled oats: Oats are the foundation of any granola. They add fiber and protein making granola a very healthy snack.
Sunflower seeds: This seed comes from the sunflower plant. They are high in healthy fats and antioxidants, B vitamins, selenium and manganese, among other nutrients. Use unsalted, unroasted sunflower seeds for this recipe.
Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants, iron, zinc magnesium and many other nutrients which are beneficial to your health. Similar to the sunflower seeds, you want to make sure to use an unsalted and unroasted variety for this granola.
Honey: Honey is the binding agent and the sweetness in this recipe. There are many varieties of honey which also leads to many flavours. Make sure you use honey that you like as it is key to the overall granola flavour profile.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil is what prevents granola from being overly dry. It adds fat and at this quantity very little flavour.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup provides some nutritional value like manganese and zinc but it also adds a bit of flavour. It’s a small amount to get just a hint of maple without making this a maple-flavoured granola.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds are full of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various micronutrients. They are also a binder and will create nice, small, clumps of flavour throughout the granola.
How to Make School-Safe Granola
This process is super simple!! That is our promise after all.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
While the oven preheats, we will make the granola. Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl. If you are adding any of the optional ingredients leave them out for now.
Using a silicone spatula stir everything thoroughly. You can’t overmix here. You want to make sure that everything is well distributed and also coated in honey and maple syrup.
Next, you need to line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can use a silicone baking mat here instead. The important thing is that you use a non-stick surface. The granola will become very sticky and you want to be able to get it off the pan easily. Since it is brittle and delicate the easier it is to remove the better.
Once the granola is all mixed, spread it in an even and relatively thin layer on the lined cookie sheet. The thicker the layer the less crunchy it will be so spread it out well. If you need to use multiple cookie sheets do so, it is worth it.
Place the granola on the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Optional Ingredients
If you are opting to add the optional ingredients or any combination of them, take the granola out 5 minutes before its done, add the ingredients and put it back in the oven for the remaining 5 minutes.
When you take it out of the oven give it a toss with the spatula to lift it up off the cookie sheet and to break it up. The longer you leave it on the cookie sheet the harder it will get as it cools.
Serving Homemade School-Safe Granola
Granola is delicious all on its own. It’s often just sitting in a bowl on the table for everyone to enjoy. I also add it to my kid’s lunch bag for a healthy morning snack which is the sole reason why this granola needs to be school-safe, or nut-free.
It’s also a delicious part of a healthy breakfast. Add some of your favourite yogurt to a bowl, top with granola and a handful of berries, fresh or frozen.
Granola is also perfect on top of a smoothie or in a smoothie bowl. Blend up your favourite fruit with yogurt and nut butter, add to a bowl and top with this crunchy and sweet homemade school-safe granola.
Lastly, granola can be the perfect way to add some crunch to your oatmeal. Combining oats with oats might seem silly but the granola provides a great texture balance and adds sweetness to plain oatmeal.
Storing Granola
Once the homemade granola cools completely store it in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Homemade School-Safe Granola Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Optional additions:
- Flax seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Dates
- Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a medium bowl mix together all of the ingredients. Stir well to make sure all the ingredients are coated in the honey.1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup pumpkin seeds, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp chia seeds
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay the granola out flat on the lined cookie sheet. You want to make sure it’s relatively looser you’ll end up with some misshaped crumbly granola bars.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- If you are including any additional ingredients add them to the granola with 5 minutes left to bake.Flax seeds, Dried cranberries, Dates, Coconut
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled break up the granola with a spatula or your hands.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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