Brain Healthy Kitchen Granola

Granola is one of those foods that can work for breakfast, lunch, and between-meal snacks. It’s one of the most satisfying things you can eat, and you can eat it in different forms: in a bowl with milk or yogurt, as a crunchy bar, dry and loose in a bowl, as part of a dessert with granola crust, and much more. The range of ingredients that are in granola make it interesting, too. Depending on what kind of granola mix is made, the tastes can vary, the texture can vary.

Unfortunately, like most commercially processed foods, granola bought in a store might not be the preferred version of this tasty food. The packaging on supermarket granola is carefully designed to look like it’s a simple, wholesome choice. But if you take a close look at the ingredients, you may find things that don’t need to be there or things like added flavors, preservatives, and food coloring that you wouldn’t necessarily include if you were making your own granola at home.

The following kitchen granola recipe offers you ingredients like nuts, seeds, honey, and coconut oil.

One of the best things about making granola at home is that you don’t need a lot of pricey appliances to make it. Even someone with minimal kitchen tools will be able to put this  granola together, and in a very short time, too.

Brain Healthy Kitchen Granola

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pistachios, chopped
• 1 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 cups oats, rolled or steel-cut
• 1 cup sunflower seeds, shelled
• 1 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled
• 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, unrefined
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Heat the oil, spices and honey in a small pan, stirring constantly.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Pour the oil, spices and honey mixture over the other ingredients until well coated.
5. Place the entire mixture on a shallow baking sheet, making sure it’s even distributed.
6. Bake in the oven for between 30 and 45 minutes, stirring every two to three minutes to prevent burning.
7. When golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
8. Use a spatula to lift and break up the granola into small pieces.
9. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar for use. Can be refrigerated, but not necessary if used in a reasonable amount of time.