Homemade Chai Granola with Chia Seeds (No coconut)

I hate cooking in the morning, so make-ahead breakfasts like this homemade chai granola with chia seeds are my go-to. The chia seeds give it a ton of fibre and I use honey (and no sugar) to make this simple breakfast healthy (ier)!

You will only need a few simple ingredients for this simple chai granola, which is one of my favorite Asian-inspired breakfasts:

• 4 Cups of oats: I recommend old-fashioned rolled oats for a crunchier granola. (Quick oats will be too powdery and steel-cut oats will make the granola too hard.)
• 1.5 Cup of walnuts: Use broken walnuts- they're cheaper than whole walnuts or half walnuts, and cheaper! You can also substitute with other nuts if you don't have walnuts in hand. (If you use sliced almonds, they bake more quickly, so you should add them later in the baking process.)
• 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds: they're full of fibre and very healthy! If you're new to chia seeds, make sure you take them with liquids and don't eat too much at first as it can mess up your digestion (bloating, constipation etc)
• 2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon powder
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger powder: If you want a more -pronounced ginger flavor, use 3 teaspoons and the oats will be quite zingy.
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground clove powder
• ½ teaspoon salt: salt is a flavor enhancer so I use it but if you're watching your salt intake you can reduce or omit. (The granola won't taste as good though.)

And these "wet ingredients":

• ½ Cup of olive oil: This is the minimum amount of oil and honey to make granola- don't skip or it won't be crunchy! If you want the granola to clump together, you may need to add a bit more olive oil or honey to make the oats stickier.
• ½ Cup of honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: I am a huge fan of adding chocolate coated nuts to the granola (AFTER baking and cooling)- the amount is up to you (I could eat a bowl of just the chocolate!) but start with ⅓ Cup and see if you need to add more.

You can use chocolate coated peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts. If you use Brazil nuts, note that you shouldn't consume too many a day, as it can lead to excessive selenium intake. (Eating more than 5 Brazil nuts can cause health issues.)

Note: some people like cardamom in their chai so they add ground cardamom to the granola- I don't but you can!

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

🥡 How to Store

Store in a airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

Tip #1: If you prefer granola clumps, press the oat mixture firmly into the baking tray before baking so that it becomes a "sheet". Do NOT stir during baking. (For loose granola, don't press the granola together and you should stir.)

Tip #2: Low and slow is actually better for granola. I'm using 350F to reduce the baking time (gas/ electricity prices!!) but if you can, use 300°F (150°C/ 130 C fan) for at least 30 minutes.

Tip #3: If you want to add dried fruit, add them with the chocolate AFTER the granola has finished baking; if not, they'll become too hard.

🥣 Other Breakfast Ideas

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Any questions about making this chai spiced granola at home? Let me know in the comments!