Savory Granola

Usually granola is a sweet breakfast dish but it doesn’t mean it always has to be sweet or that you have to have it for breakfast. I have already shared on my blog 4 sweet granola recipes and this time, I’m sharing a savory one.

While sweet granola is always used to add extra crunch to sweet dishes like smoothies and sweet puddings, savory granola can be used for the same purpose in non-sweet dishes such as salads, soup, roasted veggies, etc.

I love to make homemade granola and avoid store-bought ones. You never really know how much sugar, salt and other non-healthy ingredients it contains. When making your own granola, you control everything and can add in your favorite nuts and seeds so that it’s perfectly catered to your taste. It is also very easy to whip up and this way you can be sure you and your family are having a real healthy meal.

The ingredients for this salty granola are rolled oats, salt, olive oil, nuts, seeds, spices, egg white and maple syrup. The purpose of the egg white is to make the granola stick together and to get some clusters. If you omit the egg white the outcome granola will be vegan and more like loose cereal, it will still be very tasty so it's up to you. In addition, although it's not a sweet recipe, I still used a bit of maple syrup to balance the flavors and it's another ingredients that helps with making the granola stick together. In sweet granola recipes there is a bigger amount of maple syrup, silan (date syrup), or honey that creates the chunks.

Like I mentioned, you can use any nuts and seeds that you like, I used almond slivers, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Besides salt, in this savory granola recipe, I also used some spices for extra flavor. If you enjoy spicy snacks you can add chili flakes or spicy paprika. The spices I added are turmeric and sweet paprika.

The process of making the granola is very simple. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, flatten on a baking pan and bake. To get an even bake, stir the granola half way through baking. Watch the granola bake closely since it tend to get burn quickly. Don’t start baking and go away from the kitchen. Baking time is not very long, 15-20 minutes, depends on how browned you want it and how your oven is baking.

This homemade savory granola is a very healthy yummy snack with all the nuts and seeds in it. They add flavor, texture, minerals, fibers, healthy fats and vitamins. This granola can be eaten in any way you want. It will upgrade any plain yogurt, salad or soup and it can be eaten as is too. Since you bake it, you know what's in it and you control the flavor.

For salads, soups and other recipes, check out my main recipe index.

Here is the recipe for this yummy and satisfying homemade savory granola: