Have you ever asked yourself how to make granola? This food, very similar to muesli, can have health benefit effects on our organism if it is homemade.
In this article, you will find the information about what is granola, its benefits, and a homemade granola recipe.
What is granola?
Granola is a kind of cereal-based food that is very similar to muesli. It is made of walnuts, oat flakes, and other ingredients that are mixed with natural honey. They can also be mixed with sugar and egg white. It is often eaten with yoghurt and/or different fresh fruit pieces.
The mixture is baked so it has a crunchy texture. Other ingredients, such as raisins, dates, pine nuts, or other nuts. It may also contain pieces of dried fruit such as bananas, apples or cherries.
Granola bars, also known as cereal bars, also became popular and many places started to sell them. The first of all resembled the original but with a different shape.
This food was created by James Caleb Jackson, an American doctor, in 1863. At that moment he recommended this product to sportspeople because it has a high-calorie content and a large supply of nutrients compatible with bodybuilding diets.
We can have it as part of a healthy breakfast or as an afternoon snack, due to its high energy content and ease of carrying it everywhere. The light or low-fat version was popularized in the 90's; it is drier than the traditional one.
Granola benefits
Granola nutritional properties and benefits make it a very healthy food that is also sweet, toasted, and crunchy. It's important to know -like in all foods- that it can be considered healthy up to a certain point.
Granola should not be consumed in large quantities and especially depending on the components it contains. It is also not a substitute product and should always accompany others unless it is taken as a snack.
In general, if it is consumed moderately and it is made at home with natural ingredients, it can be a rich source of vitamin E, thiamine, folic acid, and antioxidants. However, the versions sold in supermarkets usually have more sugar in them.
As it is a food that provides our organism with fiber, due to its oats content, if it is consumed in a moderate way, it helps promote good digestion, but it is not indicated to treat constipation.
This fiber also makes our body feel full. The fats from the nuts are usually healthy fats and they are especially necessary if we do sport and we need an extra healthy calorie supply.
The minerals and vitamins it contains also constitute a necessary source of energy.
Granola recipe
If you want a different breakfast, we recommend this easy homemade granola recipe. It is important to highlight that it is not something that should be eaten every day and it is not useful for weight-loss. However, it is still healthy and with a high energy supply.
1. Ingredients
The ingredients you need to prepare homemade granola are:
- 200 g of nuts with no salt (walnuts, almonds, and pistachios)
- 170 g of oat flakes
- 50 g of honey
- 1 egg-white
- 20 g of olive oil
- 20 g of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame
- ½ a vanilla pod
- 1 pinch of powdered cinnamon
1 handful of sesame
2. Prepare the 2 mixtures
To elaborate granola first add the chosen nuts, the oats, and the sesame in a bowl and leave it aside for later. Then put in a pot the honey, the olive and coconut oil, and the vanilla. Warm this mixture up and keep on stirring it slowly until everything is integrated. We put the fire off and we keep it for later.
3. Mix all the ingredients together
Then we beat the egg white in another bowl until some foam comes out, without getting it to form peaks. Then pour the mixture of oils and honey in the bowl with nuts, oats, and sesame. Mix everything and add the egg white progressively until everything is covered in it.
4. Bake
Preheat the oven to 160ºC and line an oven tray with baking paper or aluminium foil. Spread the granola mixture well on the tray until it is more or less ½ a finger thick.
To finish, bake the mixture for 30 minutes and put it on a clean surface so it can cool down and eat it crunchy.
5. What to eat it with
You don't have to eat it on its own. It can get mixed with other ingredients that improve its flavour and give the last touch to this dish. It can be eaten with milk, yoghurt or quark because of the texture and taste contrast.
Other ingredients can also be included such as grated lime rind, a bit of chopped fresh mint or a few pieces of dark chocolate.
As it is known, granola parfaits are becoming more and more popular in social networks and they are an excellent fast option to surprise someone for breakfast.
To prepare them you only need the homemade granola we have prepared, yoghurt, and some cut seasonal fruits.
In this video you can watch how to make homemade granola with yoghurt and fruit for all the family: