I know many people eat granola all by its lonesome, just in a bowl with milk, but I prefer it with yogurt.

The first time I saw someone eat it this way was when I was at a hotel breakfast buffet in Germany.  Someone spooned yogurt into a dish and sprinkled granola over the top.

I was intrigued.

And then I was addicted.

The silky smooth, fruity yogurt intensified the sweet and crunchy granola.  It seemed an ideal breakfast, indeed.

But I hadn’t made my own from scratch yet.  That needed to change.

I began with a recipe by David Lebovitz that was based off a recipe by Nigella Lawson.  Then I made some changes.

I knew I wanted to increase the amount of honey, and I wanted to incorporate quinoa.  Plus, I love walnuts, so I swapped out the almonds for them.

You can see these changes in the photo above, which shows the dry ingredients, minus the spices and sugar.  Incidentally, I used dark brown sugar, although light brown sugar would work as well.  I prefer the stronger flavor.  And I used honey-roasted sunflower seeds instead of plain sunflower seeds – again, to increase the honey-ness of the granola.

The long list of ingredients can appear a little intimidating at first, but the process is incredibly simple.

You mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a small saucepan.  Heat the wet ingredients, then pour them over the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Spread the granola over two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake for an hour, stirring occasionally.

That’s it:  you’ve got homemade granola!

And, of course, I suggest serving it over yogurt for breakfast.  Strawberry yogurt, specifically.  But feel free to play with it.  Perhaps you’d prefer it over vanilla ice cream?  Leave a comment to let me know how you enjoy it best!

Here’s the recipe, and scroll down for the printable version:

Honey Granola with Quinoa

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC).

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients:  oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, quinoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small saucepan, mix the applesauce, honey, and oil.  Stir over low heat until just warmed and combined.

Pour the applesauce mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined and all the dry ingredients are coated.

Pour granola evenly over two cookie sheets.  Bake for one hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

Cool completely.  Store covered for up to one month.

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Get the free printable PDF of the recipe:

Honey Granola with Quinoa

Enjoy!