Healthy Granola with Cacao Nibs

I love granola, but shop bought ones tend to be loaded with sugar, not to mention they are very expensive! By making your own granola, you get to make one full of the good stuff for a fraction of the price you. And it takes just 20 minutes.

Another benefit to making your own granola is you get to add exactly what you like. If, like me, you love nuts and seeds and are always somewhat disappointed when you buy it and it doesn’t contain many, this granola doesn’t have that problem! You can make it to suit your tastes too: If you love walnuts, use those instead of the almonds; or if you want a granola made with just oats and sunflower seeds, you can do that too!

I’ve been making granola for many years, with and without various forms of sugars, but this is my favourite healthy recipe for granola. With no added sugar, and no oil; it is packed full of the good stuff: oats, nuts and seeds.

How can you make granola with no oil or sugar?

By using the juice of an orange!
You boil it so it becomes thicker and sweeter, and this reduced juice becomes the glue to mind your granola together. It also adds a hint of sweetness, meaning you don’t need to add any more sugar.

Aren’t cacao nibs chocolate – and therefore unhealthy?

Cacao nibs are the purest form of chocolate that you can buy – they are cacao beans dried and fermented then chopped into pieces. So they contain no added sugars or fat that chocolate chips or chocolate would. The less processed the cacao is, the more antioxidants it contains – so cacao nibs are very high in antioxidants! They also contain the mood boosting chemicals and lipids that a bar of dark chocolate does – and we could all do with some of that on a grey Monday morning! You can buy them in many health food stores and supermarkets these days. I love their crunchy but soft texture and the slight bitterness they bring to the granola but if you don’t like them or can’t get them, the granola will still taste delicious without!

Not only is this granola a tasty, healthy breakfast; it also makes a great snack – just put a handful into a mini container and take it to work, in the car, or on a walk.

How long will this healthy granola keep?

It will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Serving Ideas:

>With milk of your choice
With yogurt and berries
Over cooked fruit as a crumble
Straight out of the jar as a snack

Make it Yours:

Gluten free: Make sure the oats are gluten free
Nut free: Omit the nuts and add more seeds. Or add sultanas, cranberries, or other dried fruit of your choice to the cooked and cooled granola.
No cacao nibs: Eat without them, or sub sultanas or other dried fruit of your choice.Cranberries would be delicious with the orange.
Toddler Friendly: Make it without the nuts and cacao nibs – Mini Jones loves this ‘seed’ version with yogurt and blueberries for both breakfast and a morning snack.

If you are looking for more breakfast or brunch ideas, why not have a look at my simple Apple bircher, refreshing Raspberry bircher , Spanish style french toast, Torrijas, or these granola cups