Make This Easy “Use What You Have” Granola

This easy granola uses up whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand. It makes an easy, healthy breakfast or snack.

Starting fresh in January just feels right.

The minute the holidays end, I have an intense urge to pack up every speck of festive decorations, vacuum the whole house, and send at least ten bags of donated clothes and household items out the door.

And then there’s the kitchen: The overstuffed cabinets, packed fridge, and freezer that feels like a bottomless pit of cold, mystery items.

Recently I spent a week organizing those spaces and then figuring out how to use up all the odds and ends I had–so I could cut my grocery bill and waste less food overall.

A perfect way to repurpose half-empty bags of nuts and seeds taking up space in my pantry and freezer: A double batch of this easy granola. One hour of prep and we instantly had breakfasts and yogurt toppings for the next week or more.

This easy granola is very flexible and forgiving, but here are a few recipe notes for you:

• Use a combination of whatever nuts and seeds you happen to have. I’ve used walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts, and pistachios with this recipe.
• I tend to use plain, raw nuts and seeds. If yours are already salted, consider reducing or nixing the additional salt the recipe calls for altogether.
• If you use pumpkin seeds, opt for shelled seeds (called pepitas).
• If you like smaller pieces of nuts in your granola, pulse them in a food processor or mini chopper first.

Eat this granola on its own as a snack, with milk for breakfast, or over yogurt. Enjoy!

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Easy Granola

Yield: 11

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This easy granola uses up whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand. It’s lightly sweet and makes an easy, healthy breakfast or snack.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a mixing bowl.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn to low and add maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir to combine and remove from heat. 
4. Pour liquid ingredients over dry, mix well until everything is coated, and spread granola onto the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time.
5. Allow granola to cool, breaking it up into smaller pieces. Store in an airtight container. Keeps for several weeks.

Notes

*Use whatever kind you have and like, such as walnuts, almonds, or pecans

*Use whatever kind you have, such as pepitas or sunflower seeds

*Nutrition information is based on using walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Recommended Products

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• Parchment Baking Paper
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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 11 Serving Size: 1/11 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 135mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 5g