Healthy Granola With Dried Fruit and Coconut

This healthy granola with dried fruit and coconut is seriously amazing. It's great on its own, with some soy milk, or eaten on top of yogurt. Made with date syrup, it's naturally less sweet and more healthy than many store-bought granolas.

It must be said: I love fancy granola. Not just the regular stuff you buy in boxes in the cereal aisle, I’m talking about gourmet-level granola. While I’ve amassed a few favourites over the years at local cafes, specialty supermarkets and the like (I’m looking at you, Whole Foods), the plain and simple fact is that “fancy granola” also comes with a fancy price tag. 

At my local grocery stores, I’ve seen nicer looking granolas, but with prices beyond $10, nearing the $20 mark, I just can’t justify it. 

Thankfully, great granola is super easy to make. With just a few basic ingredients and your favourite add-ins, you can whip up the best granola ever with very little effort required. 

In this healthy granola recipe, I’ve stuck with a few of my favourite flavours. Cinnamon and ginger provide the perfect spicy depth, while dried cranberries, apricots, and apples bring texture and flavour. Unlike most granola recipes, which use honey or maple as a sweetener, I’ve opted for date syrup instead here. While it does make for less-sweet granola, I think it’s the perfect balance of flavours. 

It also deserves a mention that this granola smells amazing while it bakes. A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet… it’s like the baking scent of your dreams. And when it’s all done, you have an amazing, crunchy, chunky granola to sprinkle on your favourite yogurt. 

What You Need

• Rolled oats: Make sure you use whole, rolled oats for this recipe to get the best texture
• Sunflower kernels: These bring a little bit of texture as well as vitamin E and selenium 
• Flaxseed meal: Flaxseed meal is so good for you, and this is such an easy way to get some more of it into your diet
• Salt: A little bit of salt helps balance the flavours in this granola
• Cinnamon: I think cinnamon is a must in any granola recipe, but leave it out if you’re not a fan
• Ginger: Ground ginger provides a nice spicy zing, but if you don’t have it or don’t like it, you can sub for more cinnamon, cardamom, or leave it out altogether
• Liquid coconut oil: Make sure you use liquid coconut oil to help everything bind together, if your oil is solid, simply microwave it for a few seconds to liquefy it
• Date syrup: I used date syrup since it is lower in sugar and higher in antioxidants, honey or maple syrup would also work well though
• Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla goes a long way flavour-wise. You can swap it for almond extract, or leave it out if you prefer

Extra Add-Ins

These add-ins can be customised in any way you like. Dried fruit, extra nuts, chocolate chips, the possibilities are endless. I used a combination of cranberries, apples, apricots and coconut for an atumnal vibe. I love the way it turned out, but if you dislike any of these fruits, you can swap for ones you do like!

• Dried cranberries: Unsweetened dried cranberries are great in here, the sourness works well when combined with the other sweet flavours
• Dried apricots: Apricots are high in iron, so adding them into foods like this granola can be super helpful in helping vegetarians and vegans get enough iron
• Dried apples: I used spongy dried apple rings for flavour and texture, freeze-dried apples would be great too if you prefer something crunchier
• Shredded coconut: Shredded, unsweetened coconut adds a little flavour and nice texture to this granola

The Process

Making granola is super simple and straightforward, if you make it once, you'll see just how easy it can be. I promise, you'll never go back to those $14 boxes.

• Mixing: First, mix all ingredients besides add-ins
• Bake: Line the granola mixture on a baking tray, then bake. You'll know it's done when it smells amazing, and oats look slightly toasted.
• Cool: Granola needs a while to cool, and it'll firm up as it does.
• Add-ins: Once your granola is cool, you can add any extra ingredients you like and enjoy!

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📖 Recipe

Like this healthy granola? You should also check out:

• Simple Vegan Banana Bread
• Meal Prep Overnight Oats
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oats