If you want to have something nutritious, delicious, and make your house smell awesome, make some granola.
When I was growing up in the 1970’s, my mother used to do some hippie-fied things, although she was hardly a hippie. I remember her getting up at God-knows-what hour and doing yoga along with a lady on PBS each weekday morning. She’d put my school clothing on the heater in the winter so my clothes would be nice and toasty while I lay in bed listening to Yoga-woman on our TV, trying to drag myself out of bed. I remember it was still dark outside, and really early. Father: MIA.
But something else I remember is my mom making granola, which we’d often have for breakfast. She made a lot of dishes I remember, but her granola, and the green tupperware bowl she kept it in, will never leave my mind. (She put her great beef-vegetable soup in that green bowl, too. It’s amazing it didn’t transfer smells between the two.)
My grandfather owned a commercial pecan grove in Georgia, so we always had pounds of them in the freezer, always needing a way to use them. So granola was perfect. I used most of the rest on hot fudge sundaes. You can tell how active I was as a kid because I’ve always been scrawny and I ate/eat a LOT.
My mom always ate healthily. She set a good example. She used to put wheat germ on my macaroni and cheese, for example, which I thought was disgusting. But I appreciate the effort. Same with making me eat liver. Yuck. And she cooked well-balanced meals for us. I will never understand how she could have died from leukemia at such a young age. She never smoked, never drank, and she exercised regularly and lived a Christian life. She should be living until at least 100. I’ve never gotten a satisfactory answer to how that could happen, including from a line of respected doctors.
Anyway, I haven’t made granola in forever, but I had some walnuts I needed to use, and saw I also had coconut, honey, oats, vanilla, and pretty much everything I needed to make it, and I’ve been on a tear lately, eating Greek vanilla yogurt with blueberries, and thought some granola would also be perfect.
One BIG thing about cereals of any type in 2025 is that 99% of them are 99% sugar. I can’t even buy what I ate growing up, which was Grape Nuts and Product 19, which I loved. Suddenly all the cereal choices were removed. The boxes shrank, and the bags of cereal shrank even more. And the prices are RIDICULOUS, considering what it is, and still rising. Most of it is subsidized sugar. That’s ANOTHER reason to make your own: cost. The nuts and possibly honey are the most expensive things, but they’ll last you a pretty long time, and are both very healthy.
I do add some brown sugar, but only a small amount. No more than 2TB, if that. But I go lightly, because it’s not really needed. I add it for depth, along with the molasses. The honey and coconut are plenty to sweeten it up.
NOTE: I add about 3TB extra of honey because it’s not as thick as I think it should be, as-is.
I sometimes use maple syrup if I have it, but I don’t always. It’s expensive to keep on hand just for one person. I just had to throw away my last container, which went bad in 2023(2 years ago), and I remember it costing around $18 back then.
But I used to make pancakes and waffles for my daughter and myself a lot. No more. It had mold on the surface, and even pure syrup will go bad because of the moisture in it, unlike honey, which basically never goes bad. We (humans) have honey from Egypt that’s around 3,000 years old. But real maple syrup gives it an earthy, deeper flavor. Don’t bother if you use the fake stuff. That’s how strongly I feel about it.
I recommend buying as fresh as you can for most items. Many times, I don’t say that about (many) grocery things, because I know how difficult it can be to source fresh food. Believe me. Where I live, there is a bigger selection of pigs’ feet (and other parts) than beef. Im not kidding. Fresh garlic or something is like sourcing moon rocks.
But in this case, try to get good cinnamon. It makes a big difference. Not the .99 plastic container of cinnamon-scented dust from the bin at Walmart. That’s a crusade I’m on, but I’m not as vehement as some people. But I just don’t see how you can say no to fresh ground pepper, kosher salt, pure vanilla, etc…
Try to get local honey if possible. Pure maple syrup, if going that route. Good oats, and not store-brand instant cook oats. ESPECIALLY whole oats here. Things like that add up. You get the point. It’s symbiotic, where increasing the quality of each ingredient matters, but it compounds when you add them together, I think. It should.
One thing I recommend is toasting the chopped nuts. Watch them while doing this because you DO NOT want burned nuts. Just toasted. It brings out oils and really improves the flavors. It’s simple and only takes a moment.
Although the cinnamon makes this smell Christmassy, I think it would smell great year-round. It’s not overly so. It really smells great! I wish I could bottle it and just sell the smell. Being able to eat it, AND being so healthy, and easy to make, and affordable, are all wins.
You can control how clumpy you like it, too. Put the coconut in halfway through, while stirring, so it doesn’t burn.
Although this is an easy recipe, it’s easy to overcook it to the point that you may not like it. It reminds me of garlic, how fast it can go from “lightly sauteed” to “burnt pebble.” So, for that case, I try to keep a close eye on it, because it can go from awesome to charcoal disaster fast.
I’d suggest making a batch (or several) to learn the ins and outs, as with anything. Such as, I cook mine in a countertop oven, so I cook it in 2 batches, which makes a difference in cooling, adding ingredients, time, and so on. Once you get a hold on those things, you dont need to hover over it. One other nice thing is that this doesn’t use a lot of dishes. I use parchment paper on my pan, too.
Of course, you can and should add whatever you like. I omit fruit and a lot of ingredients that a lot of “granola” recipes call for. I like to keep it healthy, with as little sodium and added (processed) sugars and saturated fats as I can avoid. Those 3 things are what make food taste good to Americans, so that’s no small order. But doable, if you know what you like and how to do it. I use olive oil instead of coconut oil, for example. I know coconut would taste a little better, but olive oil is SO much healthier, and I don’t think the amount will make THAT much of a difference. It has actual coconut in it, anyway. I didn’t have pumpkin seeds, so I just left them out this time.
Here is a base recipe for a Golden Molasses & Coconut Granola.
This recipe focuses on “good fats” and complex carbs rather than empty sugars. It uses just enough honey and molasses to bind the oats and give it a deep, warm flavor (that gingerbread-like richness) without being cloyingly sweet. And did I mention it smells great?
Golden Molasses & Coconut Granola
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Bake time: 40-50 mins
- Yields: Approx. 5 cups
The Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (Do not use quick oats; they will get mushy).
- 1 cup Raw Nuts, roughly chopped (Pecans or Walnuts work best with molasses, but almonds are great too).
- ½ cup Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) (Adds a great nutritional boost and green color).
- ½ cup Unsweetened Coconut (Chips or large flakes are best. If you only have shredded coconut, see the note in step 4).
- 2 tsp Cinnamon (Don’t be shy with it).
- ½ tsp Sea Salt (Crucial to make the flavors pop).
- Optional: 2 tbsp Brown Sugar (Adds a little extra crunch/caramelization, but feel free to skip for lower sugar).
The Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Coconut Oil, melted (Olive oil works too for a more savory note).
- ⅓ cup Honey or Maple Syrup (Honey clumps better; Maple syrup is lighter).
- 1 tbsp Molasses (This provides the dark color and distinct flavor).
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract.
Instructions
1. Prep the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). We are baking “low and slow” because molasses and nuts can burn easily at higher temperatures. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the Dry:
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar (if using).
(Note: Keep the coconut separate for now if you are worried about burning).
3. Whisk the Wet:
In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the melted oil, honey/maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla until completely combined and emulsified.
4. Combine:
Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Stir well until every single oat and nut looks glossy and coated.
- Coconut Tip: If you have large coconut chips, mix them in now. If you have fine shredded coconut, wait and add it halfway through baking so it doesn’t toast too dark.
5. Bake:
Spread the granola onto the baking sheet.
- For Chunks: Press the granola down firmly with the back of a spatula into a flat, single layer.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Halfway through (20 min mark): Gently rotate the pan. If you like loose granola, stir it now. If you want clumps, do not stir—just rotate the pan. (Add your shredded coconut now if you haven’t yet).
6. The Hardest Part (Cooling):
Remove from the oven when the oats are golden brown and smell toasty. Let it cool completely on the pan without touching it.
- The granola crisps up as it cools. If you try to eat it hot, it will seem soft.
- Once cool, break it apart into your desired chunk size.
Why this works
- The Molasses: It adds iron and a complex, slightly bitter sweetness that makes the granola taste “grown-up” rather than like candy.
- The Salt: It cuts the sweetness and pairs perfectly with the nuts.
- Low & Slow: Baking at 300°F ensures the nuts roast perfectly without the honey scorching.
That’s it! There are few rules as to what to include. It’s more important about how long they cook and when they’re added. And be sure to stir it halfway at least.
