Crunchy. Chewy. Chocolatey. Contains fiber, protein, antioxidants, and more. This, my friends, is the best granola I have ever tasted. 

As I have said before, I love granola but have a difficult time finding delicious types that don’t have tree nuts or coconut – I have an allergy. Learning to make my own has cleared up that struggle, and now I am trying out some different flavors! This one is sweetened with date syrup and brown sugar, has protein powder for the flavor, and contains seeds for extra crunch and nutrients. My toddler and I were munching on this as soon as it cooled enough to eat! 

How to Make and Store the Granola 

Set your oven to 350°F. Grab your saucepan and pour in a cup off rolled oats, 1/2 cup of steel cut oats, 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed, 1 table spoon chia seeds, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together. Turn heat on medium-low and add 2 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup date syrup, and 1-2 scoops of your favorite chocolate protein powder. Stir everything into the dry ingredients, then add ½ cup of pumpkin seeds. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and look moist. I like to chop some of the pumpkin seeds with my spoon as I stir, but that isn’t necessary. Heat mixture for 2-3 minutes.  

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat, then spread the granola mixture onto the pan. I spread mine thinly but keep the mixture mostly together so it stays in bigger pieces. once done; you can spread it out more for a crumbly granola. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes; granola should be somewhat chewy/bendy when  you take it from the oven. Let it cool enough to touch, then break up into  pieces – whatever size you desire! Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. I like to use glass Mason jars. The granola should stay fresh and delicious for at least two weeks if you store it in a cool, dry place. 

Eat and Enjoy 

Serve the granola in a bowl with milk, mix in dried fruit, or use as a yogurt topping (my favorite is mixing it with black cherry Greek yogurt – seriously delicious!) You can honestly just munch on it plain for a sweet, crunchy snack.  

Granola Variations and Add-ins 

Making your own granola is great since you can easily customize it to your preferences. You can definitely add in nuts or coconut while mixing everything together in a saucepan (you might need more date syrup to coat everything). Add in dried fruit after baking and mix it in while crumbling the granola. You could even make it a double chocolate granola by mixing chocolate chips in once it is cooled down. There are so many ways to make and enjoy this easy, healthy snack! 

Ingredients  

-1 cup Whole Oats 

-½ cup Steel Cut Oats 

-2 tablespoons Ground Flax Seed 

-1 tablespoon Chia Seeds 

-1 teaspoon Salt 

-2 tablespoons Olive Oil 

-1/3 cup Date Syrup 

-¼ cup Brown Sugar 

-1-2 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder 

-½ cup Pumpkin Seeds 

Instructions  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together whole oats, steel cut oats, flax seed, chia seeds, and salt in a medium sauce pan. 
3. Over medium-low heat, stir in olive oil, date syrup, brown sugar, and protein powder. Mix well, then add in pumpkin seeds.
4. Stir until mixture is incorporated and moist, then pour onto a baking tray prepared with parchment paper or a baking mat.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes until mixture is slightly browned but still chewy.
6. Cool enough to handle, then break into desired pieces.
7. Allow granola to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.  

Serve with your favorite yogurt, with cold whole milk, or just munch on it plain!