Air Fryer Granola

Air fryer granola is a delightful twist on the traditional oven-baked alternative. The air fryer's hot circulating air ensures that every chunk of oats and nuts is perfectly toasted. This recipe is packed with big clusters of goodness with an incredible texture and crunch.

Air fryer granola is healthy and versatile. It can be enjoyed as a quick breakfast, sprinkled over yogurt, in a smoothie bowl with fresh fruit, as a topping over ice cream, or as a simple, nourishing snack straight from the jar.

The star ingredient in this recipe is oats which are naturally gluten-free. Oats are rich in fiber, namely beta-glucan, which has been shown to increase the diversity of gut microbiota. Oats are a good source of phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium and zinc.

If you enjoy oats and all the health benefits of this superfood, then you will enjoy my Apple Blackberry Crumble which includes oats and antioxidant-rich blackberries.

Steel-cut Oats vs Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats vs Instant Oats

Firstly, the similarity between these four variations of oats is that they all come from oat groats, the oat kernel with the tough outer shell removed. The differences between the four varieties lie in the way they are processed.

Steel-cut Oats

Steel-cut oats, also known as Irish oats, resemble the oat groat in its most natural state. The oat groats are not rolled or steamed but cut with sharp blades into small pieces. They have a chewy texture and nutty taste. Traditional steel-cut oats can take up to 30 minutes to cook.

Rolled Oats (old-fashioned oats)

Rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats, are oat groats that have been steamed, and rolled to flatten each oat kernel. Most of us think of this when we imagine a bowl of oatmeal or porridge. Rolled oats have a mild flavour and coarse texture and can generally be cooked on the stovetop in 5 minutes.

Quick Oats

Quick oats are oat groats steamed for longer than rolled oats and rolled thinner. The advantage to this is a quicker cooking time, roughly 2 minutes or so on the stovetop if making oatmeal. The flavour is mild, and I describe the texture as quite soft. Some say mushy.

Instant Oats

Instant oats were designed for microwave cooking and often come in small packets with added flavourings and sugar. Again, instant oats are derived from oats groats but steamed for longer and cut even thinner than quick oats. The cooking time in a microwave oven is generally 2 minutes or less.

Ingredients

These ingredients are ones I often have on hand in my pantry, and I consider them staples in a well-stocked kitchen.

• Quaker Oats is the brand I reached for when developing this recipe. I used quick oats (photographed above), but I have also made this recipe with old-fashioned rolled oats, and the results were equally impressive. Many times in recipes, quick oats and rolled oats are interchangeable.
• Use raw pecans and walnuts for this recipe. Don't use roasted nuts; they will likely become too golden brown and burn.

See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Instead of light olive oil, you can use a neutral oil such as canola, peanut, safflower and even refined coconut oil, as it has no distinct taste.
• Use raw, coarsely chopped almonds or hazelnuts instead of pecans and walnuts.
• As a variation, add dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries or chopped apricots, to your batch of cooked granola once it has thoroughly cooled.

How to Oven-Bake Granola (when you don't have an air fryer)

Double the recipe, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and bake the granola on the middle rack of a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour.

Secrets for Success

• Use fresh nuts. Always taste the nuts beforehand to ensure they are fresh and not rancid.
• Raw nuts are your best bet for this recipe. Because they are not roasted they will withstand the baking time in the air fryer.
• Make sure the granola has cooled completely before storing it. Doing so will preserve its crispness.

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