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Yes! You can totally make granola with steel-cut oats! This Honey Nut Steel-Cut Granola is packed full of flavor and healthy nuts and will make you forget all about rolled oats in your granola!
Growing up we only ever ate steel-cut oats. It wasn’t until I got really into healthy living blogs that I discovered that most people didn’t eat steel-cut oats. I honestly believed that rolled oats were called “quaker oats” since I only ever saw them come from those horrible quaker oat packets.
Feel free to judge.
But suddenly I found myself buying enormous bags of Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats, making overnight oatmeal and completely neglecting my beloved steel-cut oats. Truth is, once you discover the convenience of rolled oats (aka ready in under 10 mins!) it’s difficult to justify spending 30 minutes cooking steel-cut.
But I really do miss the crunchiness of steel-cut oats. Though to be fair, I think that I mostly miss how my mom used to make it with milk and brown sugar…so good.
Speaking of moms, have I mentioned that mine is wonderful? Mom, I can already feel you typing your response to this…
Allow me to explain.
Not only is she responsible for introducing me to steel-cut oats, but also for that delicious manuka honey you see in the background of those photos. She brought it back for me after her recent trip to New Zealand (where manuka-pollinating bees live) and I’ve basically been rationing it out every single day since.
This stuff is like gold. If you’ve never tried manuka honey, start saving your pennies and then invest in a little jar of this magic. The best way for me to describe it is like “the most honey-filled honey you have ever tasted”. Does this make sense?
Confession: I totally didn’t use the manuka honey in this Honey Nut Steel-Cut Granola. It is far too precious for that. But I DID top the granola with a bit of manuka honey for an added sweet and antioxidant-filled boost!
Apparently manuka honey has all sorts of health-benefits and its encouraged you have a spoonful a day. An excuse to eat a spoonful of honey everyday? Thanks Mom!
PrintHoney Nut Steel-Cut Granola
Yes! You can totally make granola with steel-cut oats! This Honey Nut Steel-Cut Granola is packed full of flavor and healthy nuts and will make you forget all about rolled oats in your granola!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups steel-cut oats (gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 cups of mixed nuts (I did 1/2 cup of hazelnuts, pecans, slivered almonds and walnuts but feel free to use any kind of nuts)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup honey (local raw honey is ideal)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine steel-cut oats, nuts, cinnamon and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl combine coconut oil, applesauce, honey and vanilla.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined.
- Spread granola over a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 mins.
- Remove from oven and flip and the bake for another 20 mins.
- Remove from oven once again, flip and then bake for another 15 mins.
- Remove from oven and flatten granola with the back of a spatula.
- LET SIT FOR ONE HOUR. Do not try to move granola off tray.
- After an hour, you can take the granola and break it up into clusters.
- Combine with raisins.
- Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (if it ever lasts that long…)
I adapted this to what I had on hand- gotta love the versatility of granola. Delicious! Thanks! 🙂
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed!
Have anyone done this with rolled oats? If so, should the baking time be less?
I’ve tried with steel cut and it was too crunchy for me.
Thanks!
You can certainly replace with rolled oats but baking time will be less and you may need to decrease the amount of liquid as rolled oats absorb less than steel-cut. Enjoy!
Aw.. I made it before I saw your reply. I did bake a few minutes less but put the same amount of liquid with rolled oats and it tastes amazing!!! I put dark chocolate morsels on top too!! Yummy!! Thank you!!
Wonderful! So glad it still worked out! -Davida
eating this granola is not unlike eating kitty litter. honey nut flavored kitty litter. beware if you have sensitive teeth.
I’m making it right now!!
I couldn’t see when to mix the vanilla, but I figured it’s with the wet ingredients. 🙂
I added chia seeds and I am also adding some dark chocolate morsels after its done.
I can’t wait to taste!
Ah yes! Fixed it in the instructions. You got it right 😉 Sorry about that!
Hi! This looks and tastes amazing, but I followed the recipe exactly and it is very loose. It didn’t clump together at all. Thoughts?
I had the same problem, Kathryn. Even after all the baking time, mine still tasted a little raw. I put it back into the oven (which is off) to cool. Maybe that will help the taste. It’s not sweet at all, which is a good thing for me, but maybe it could’ve used a bit more honey to help it clump.
Thank you! I was looking for a granola recipe for the organic oats we grew and course ground. I’ll try this today! Have you ever thought of adding sesame seeds? It gives a nice crunch.
My mom introduced me to allllll kinds of food. Basically everything and all of my ridiculous indulgent tastes – foie gras, escargot, etc etc. She had a rule that I had to have a bite of everything at least to try. I am still so thankful she did that!
Girlll I am all about steel cut oats these days! Honestly nothing else every sounds better in the morning. I feel like once you go steel cut ya never go back…lol
Never thought of using it in granola…pinning and trying soon!!
I adore Manuka Honey! It tastes like no other honey, so rich! I have half a tsp with hot water and lemon to start my morning every day and love it! My immunity has definitely increased since taking it!
Real nice ingredients simple and yummy. I
Made it with and for my six year old daughter, whom started to prefer granola vs. oatmeal. I love the smell of honey in the air with raisins. Great for all ages! Thank you from Hawaii Island
Glad you enjoyed!
So…you do not cook the oats before you make the granola?
nope!