Everything but the Kitchen Sink Granola ~ forget bread, this healthy gluten free fruit and nut granola is the staff of life in our house. With toasted oats, colorful fruit, and crunchy nuts, this is our favorite breakfast cereal!
My latest homemade granola recipe is the healthiest yet!
It’s time to fill our coffers (mason jars!) with fresh granola again. It seems like I’m always cooking, but somehow I ‘forget’ to make the basics. My kitchen is overflowing with a million random bits and bobs, but we’re always hunting and pecking around for something to eat. It’s time to reset my priorities.
After dallying with different granola recipes here and there, I always end up coming back to the original. And I try to treat granola making with the respect it deserves. I don’t use up stale, crushed nuts and dried up fruit from the back of a cabinet. I try to buy whole nuts, and I don’t mind doing a little shelling. I’m hooked on the dried fruit from the farmer’s market. They dry their own pears, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and grapes and the fruit is colorful, plump and has tons of flavor. Check around next time you’re at a local market, it’s so worth it because it elevates granola to something special.
I used almonds, pistachios, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and macadamias. Look for fresh, whole nuts whenever possible. In the shell is awesome when you can find them. Nuts are like spices, they lose their freshness and flavor quickly once they’ve been shelled and chopped.
I love the flavor of cardamom in this granola, it has a softer, more complex flavor than cinnamon.
Also try ~
- Paleo Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bread
- 7 Grain Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- DIY Instant Fruit and Nut Oatmeal
(everything but the) Kitchen Sink Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups mixed nuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup mixed seeds, I used sesame seeds and pepitas
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil, or any vegetable oil you like
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 2 cups mixed dried fruit, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Mix the oat, nuts and seeds together in a large bowl.
- Mix the oil, honey, vanilla and cardamom together in a measuring cup with a spout, and drizzle over the oat mixture, stirring as you add it. Keep tossing the oats until everything is well coated.
- Spread on an ungreased baking sheet and toast the granola for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. You want it nice and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and immediately mix in the dried fruit. Then let everything cool right on the pan.
- When cool, store the granola in an airtight container. I like to keep it in the fridge, but you don't have to.
Love, love this recipe, Thank you for sharing,
Cardamom is my new favorite spice,
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so…i’m eating granola with my yogurt right now, and it just doesn’t hold a candle to yours, especially in looks. how gorgeous!
This is the most beautiful granola I’ve ever seen. Give me a big bowl of Greek yogurt and a bunch of this granola – and I could be happy for a long time. Very nice recipe.
granola is such a great way to use up pantry items like this all together in one delicious thing. I haven’t purchased store-bought granola since i made my first batch of homemade; so delicious.
That looks wonderful and so much more colorful then my granola usually does. I think I definitely need to add more fruits in there for next time and love the idea of using cardamom!
I love all of the wonderful colors!
Oh wow, Sue, this is beautiful! Sooooo colorful! It’s like a Crayola box of crayons with all those gorgeous colors! And coming back to the original – I can relate with recipes. I do it all the time. If it aint broke, don’t fix it!
Thanks Averie, I love the colors of the fruit, and the pistachios, pepitas, etc. Granola out of a bag or box can be so boring!
This is definitely not your store bought granola.
next time I make granola I will have to add in some cardamon.
I can see why it would work.
Have you ever tried it in a milkshake?
I did one last summer for an interview with adam reid and it was so good!
I haven’t used it in a milkshake—that just might have to go on the menu for lunch today! I now use cardamom in place of cinnamon all the time.
I love how this granola is compiled … can’t wait to try !
AND,
Cardamom in smoothies is a staple for me. Compliments berries unbelievably !