Smoothie bowls, porridge, yoghurt, fruit salad - the list of delicious breakfast creations that become a culinary delight in the morning with Crunchy Granola is long. The baked muesli variant provides a healthy crunch and can be integrated into a balanced, vegan diet in a variety of ways. But what exactly is granola and how do you prepare it at home? You can find answers here and be inspired according to your taste: from a simple basic granola recipe to unusual variations.
What is granola?
When we present healthy toppings for our smoothie bowls on our Instagram channel and recommend our homemade granola, we are increasingly asked the same question: What exactly is granola? And because this delicious crunchy treat should really have a permanent place in every foodie's pantry, we would like to answer this question in more detail today.
- Definition
- Crispy muesli in a healthy diet
- Granola Ingredients and Preparation
- Granola Basic Recipe
- This is how you can use granola
- storage
Granola Definition
Granola consists of baked cereal flakes, usually oat flakes, which are combined with other ingredients such as nuts, seeds or dried fruits to create an exciting muesli variant from the oven. Mixed with oil and syrup and refined with cinnamon and a pinch of salt, the cereal flake mixture develops a wonderful aroma while baking and becomes a crunchy experience. In terms of taste, granola is also a great contrast to our fruity smoothie bowls or creamy, plant-based yoghurts. Fresh fruits complete the simple but delicious breakfast.
Granola or muesli: what's the difference?
Actually quite simple: the method of preparation. Granola is baked in the oven with oil and honey or other sweeteners, while you mix the ingredients for your favorite homemade muesli raw together and eat it immediately with plant-based yogurt or milk alternatives.
Is granola the same as crunchy muesli?
You can use the terms crunchy muesli and granola as synonyms with a clear conscience. What a product is ultimately called depends on the brand and not how it is manufactured. In some definitions, granola is described as flakier, in others, it's the pieces that stick together that make up the heart and soul of granola.
Why the name Granola?
You probably guessed it: The name granola has its origins in the English-speaking world. James Caleb Jackson developed and sold his product made of baked wholemeal flour under the name "Granula" as early as 1863. In 1978, a certain John Harvey Kellog brought a similar crunchy muesli onto the market under the same name. After being sued by Jackson, he changed the name to "Granola". The English expression has now become established in many cafes, which often make their own granola .
Is granola actually vegan?
However, not every baked muesli is inherently vegan. In addition to nuts and flakes, some ready-made mixes also contain chocolate, which is often made from dairy products. If you receive a crunchy muesli as a gift, depending on the recipe, it could also contain honey, which has no place in a vegan diet. If in doubt, ask what ingredient was used to sweeten it.
If you make granola yourself, you can decide for yourself which ingredients end up in your breakfast.
How do crunchy mueslis and healthy eating go together?
A delicious, simple topping that you can enjoy for breakfast or as a snack may seem too good to be true. You're probably asking yourself: Is granola healthy ? Our answer: It depends! Products packed with sugar that you often find in the supermarket should be enjoyed in moderation. If you want to buy healthy granola, pay close attention to what kind of sweetener and oil is used and how much of it. If you value healthy eating, you should always keep an eye on the ingredients list anyway.
Where can I find crunchy muesli without refined sugar?
The Wholey Crunchy Granola is available in three different varieties. We looked for the best balance between crunchy experience, taste and high-quality ingredients - and found it! The difference to other crunchy mueslis: We do not use refined sugar and instead of palm oil we rely on high-quality organic coconut oil.
If you want to make granola yourself, you can also use our recipe to bake a healthier alternative without refined sugar.
Make your own granola: ingredients and preparation
Another question that we often get: What do you need for granola? Basically not much – or a lot. Because you can decide for yourself how many and which ingredients you use to refine your granola according to your mood. By the way, here we come to another advantage of homemade granola: By preparing it yourself, you can use high-quality plant-based ingredients - and avoid refined sugar, flavor enhancers and other artificial additives, which are unfortunately still far too often found on the ingredient lists of supermarket products find.
Besides, it's much more fun to get creative yourself and start the day with a delicious, but above all healthy breakfast, right?
To save you some of the work, we have clearly listed the most popular ingredients for you:
The base:
- Oatmeal or other cereal flakes
- Coconut oil
- Agave syrup, maple syrup or other syrup of your choice
The sophistication:
- Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts
- Kernels and seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and co.
- coconut chips
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Chia or flax seeds
- Dried fruit: apple, banana, mango, dates, cranberries
- Puffed Amaranth
- Quinoa
- Ground vanilla
- Cacao nibs
Our vegan granola base recipe:
Good recipes are like good holiday tips: you like to share them with friends - or in our case with our Wholey community. Our recipe is the ideal basis for a healthy crunch and at the same time offers you the opportunity to refine your homemade granola as you wish.
Ingredients for 1 baking tray:
- 400 g oats
- 100 ml maple syrup or agave syrup
- 6 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- Optional: additional ingredients to taste
This is how the granola recipe works:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients together.
- Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat. Then pour over the oatmeal mixture together with the agave syrup or maple syrup and mix well until all the ingredients are moist.
- Spread your granola on the baking tray and bake it for about 25 - 30 minutes.
Our tip: Turn the crunchy muesli after about 10 minutes. This way it gets nice and crispy on all sides. Take a look at it every now and then and test shortly before the end of the baking time whether a few more minutes are needed or whether you are already satisfied with the result.
How do I make my granola crunchy?
Our tip: If you like your granola crispy, bake the oatmeal mixture for longer at a slightly lower temperature. If you set the oven temperature too high, the granola muesli will burn.
How can I use granola?
How you want to enjoy your crunchy muesli is entirely up to you. We want to give you some tips on how to make this crunchy alternative to muesli stand out to its best advantage.
How do you eat granola?
Granola mueslis are a delicious and easy vegan breakfast . The crunchy cereal flakes are also ideal as a vegan breakfast dish to take away .
- If you're in a hurry, simply mix creamy plant-based yogurt or plant-based milk with fresh fruits, nuts, seeds and your crunchy muesli.
- Use granola as a topping for your smoothie bowl or creamy porridge. Fruits, nuts and seeds or nut butter round off the taste experience here too.
- Are you craving something sweet and at the same time need something with a bite? You can also enjoy granola as a snack between meals or on the go.
- You can also use granola with plant-based yogurt and fresh fruits as a quick layered dessert for festive occasions.
- Granola cups with creamy filling are not only delicious and quick to prepare, they can also be healthy with the right ingredients!
The question of how to eat granola should not only focus on the morning hours. You can also enjoy the crunchy cereal on a salad or even in homemade ice cream!
Caution: Your breakfast meal should not consist exclusively of granola and milk. Crunchy muesli should be a tasty addition to a healthy diet rather than the main ingredient for your breakfast.
Delicious gift from the kitchen
Old screw-top jars are ideal for storing your granola. With a pretty bow and a personal inscription, homemade granola is also perfect as a souvenir or as a small gift for your favorite colleague's birthday. In any case, it is worth baking several portions of granola in advance. So you always have the opportunity to quickly conjure up a small gift.
How do I keep my granola crunchy?
Airtight and resealable containers are the be-all and end-all if you want to enjoy the crispy pieces on your breakfast or as a snack for a long time. Also make sure that you let your granola cool and dry thoroughly after baking before transferring it.
Tip: If you line the container with kitchen paper, this will constantly absorb any remaining moisture and also ensure that the homemade granola stays crispy for longer.
The homemade granola should be used within two weeks. If you haven't just produced gigantic quantities in stock, there is little risk that some of the crispy delicacy will remain for too long.
Sources:
Honert, Moritz (09.11.2015): Make your own granola, In: tagesspiegel.de. (accessed on March 23, 2022)
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