Savory Granola with Rosemary and Kale. It's sort of like granola and trail mix got together and had a fancy baby. Flavorful and nutritious, try it on salads, grain bowls, steamed veggies, and baked sweet potatoes. Slightly salty and seasoned with rosemary and garlic, I have to admit, I eat it by the handful as an afternoon snack!
Granola recipes are nothing if not versatile. They lend themselves to all sorts of experimentation - various seasonings, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. They even range from fat-filled and sugary sweet, to more health conscious varieties like my Crunchy Oil-Free Granola. For today's recipe, I wanted to create a savory granola featuring one of my favorite herbs, fresh rosemary. So while the ways you might eat and enjoy this savory granola are different than regular granola, the way you prepare it is basically the same. And that is to say, it's so easy!
How to make savory granola
Making granola is pretty much a 3-step process:
- Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl, and stir to coat.
- Spread on a pan and bake.
Super easy, right?
This particular recipe is oil-free, which makes it different than most. So we're going to use a small amount of tahini plus maple syrup and apple cider vinegar as the coating for our dry ingredients. As a substitute for the tahini, you could also use sunflower seed or cashew butter and probably even aquafaba (though I haven't tested that, so don't hold me to it).
As far as dry ingredients go, of course we're starting with rolled oats. I love oats because they're affordable, accessible, and nutritious, and they're essentially what makes this "granola." 😉 After that, feel free to get wild! Use any nuts you have on hand, such as:
- cashews
- walnuts
- almonds
- hazelnuts
- pecans
I like to include seeds in my granola, too. My number one choice is pumpkin seeds because they're beautiful and packed with good stuff. You can also use sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. To keep things affordable, remember to check the bulk bins at the grocery store. Foods like flax seeds are often cheaper in bulk than pre-packaged off the shelf. Plus, you can bring a container from home, have the cashier weigh it before you start shopping, and fill it to avoid single-use bags and containers.
I love ALL of the ingredients in this savory granola, but I think my favorite is the KALE! Around the same time I was deciding what to include in this oil-free savory granola, I was also creating these Cheesy Oil-Free Kale Chips. Suddenly, a light bulb moment! The crumbled kale chips blend so nicely with the hint of rosemary in this granola. It's a delicious pairing and a perfect way to sneak more greens into your day. My Cheesy Oil-Free Kale Chip recipe is simple and easy, but if you want to save some time (and don't mind spending a little more money), you can also use store-bought kale chips.
In addition to fresh rosemary, I used a small amount of garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper to season this savory granola. Feel free to play around with the spices to suit your taste. The cayenne doesn't add noticeable heat, so if you like things spicy you'll definitely want to bump up the amount!
A Healthy Snack to Have On Hand
I like to store the granola in a Ball jar in the refrigerator and really appreciate that it's a snack that keeps for a while (at least up to two weeks, probably longer). I've found that when I'm getting really hungry at dinner time, I can nibble on a few bites of this granola to hold me over until the vegetables are ready. So if you're one to reach for chips or crackers at hangry times, maybe spending half an hour every couple of weeks to whip up a batch of savory granola can be a new, healthier habit!
I hope you enjoy this Savory Granola With Rosemary and Kale, and if you find a combination of nuts, seeds, and seasonings you really love, please share with us in the comments.
Happy snacking and sprinkling!
Oh, and be sure to tag @myquietkitchen on instagram to show off your fancy granola. I would love to see it!
Savory Granola With Rosemary and Kale
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats, gluten-free if needed
- 1 to 1 ½ cups of your favorite raw nuts such as cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and/or almonds
- ½ cup raw seeds such as pumpkin and/or sunflower
- 2 to 3 Tbsp small-sized raw seeds such as sesame or flax
- 1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- pepper
Wet ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Post-baking addition:
- 1 batch Cheesy Oil-Free Kale Chips Or sub store-bought kale chips.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, and vinegar.
- Add the oats, nuts, seeds, rosemary, salt, garlic, cayenne, and pepper to the bowl. Use your hands to work the tahini-maple mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Spread evenly on the baking sheet, and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely. Crumble the kale chips onto the pan.
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Granola can also be frozen for longer storage.
