Steel-Cut Granola

This week, I had the pleasure of writing for Catholic Women Run. The piece I wrote can be found here, but a synopsis of it includes focusing our food and fitness lifestyle around our faith. If you aren’t familiar with them, go check out their page, or even take a browse over at their Instagram! I love pages that encourage healthy lifestyles. It really is nice to see faith-minded women supporting each other in their health and fitness goals.

I wanted to feature an ingredient that can be used in several different ways. I have a thing for breakfast food, and something I am really loving lately is the many ways to eat oats! I eat both steel-cut and rolled oats, but today’s recipe focuses on steel-cut.

There is little to no difference in the nutrition between steel-cut and rolled oats, but rather the difference lies in their shape, mouth-feel, and how they are digested. They both contain biotin, manganese, and plenty of fiber! Rolled oats start as whole grain oats (groats) that are hulled, steamed, and rolled flat in order to be cooked faster (Old Fashioned oats, Quick Cook oats, Instant oats, etc). Steel-cut also start out as groats that are hulled, but instead of being steamed and rolled, they are simply sliced into 2-3 pieces by a steel blade, which gives them their pin-like appearance. Due to the lack of steaming and pressing, they are slower to digest and are given a lower glycemic index. This is better for staying fuller for longer periods of time, and preventing a sharp spike in blood sugar.

Rolled oats on the left. Steel-cut on the right.

Steel-Cut Granola

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You will need:

3 cups of raw steel-cut oats
2 cups of chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of coconut oil, (any light tasting oil is fine here- but try to keep it healthy)
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 300*F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Combine oats, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and salt into one bowl. In a microwavable bowl, combine the applesauce, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Microwave it for 30 seconds on high until everything is melted together. You can also do this on low in a sauce pan. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until everything is coated.

Spread mixture out onto a parchment lined sheet pan. If there are gaps that expose parchment paper, don’t stress. Everything will cook just the same if it is not perfectly spread out.

Bake at 300*F for 20 minutes.
Take out and flip with a spatula.
Bake again for 20 minutes.
Take out and flip with a spatula.
Bake again for 20 minutes.
Take out and give it a good flattening with a spatula or spoon. Walk away from it and don’t touch it for at least an hour.

At the end of an hour, you can scoop the granola into a storage container or gallon freezer bag. If you like, you can also add in 1 cup of dried fruit and 1/2 cup of pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Your prerogative! I keep mine plain at this point because I like to mix it into parfaits layered with plain Greek yogurt, honey, and fresh fruit. I also like to eat it in a bowl with milk, or just snack on it straight from the bag.

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