Sweet and Spicy Homemade Granola with Coconut

Sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy, this chili lime granola with coconut is an absolute favorite. Sweetened with both honey and agave it makes the perfect topping for yogurt or eat it by the handfuls for a snack that you’ll feel good about. Breakfast just got a little better!

 

Make a Batch of the Best Homemade Granola

Like homemade chex mix, a batch of homemade granola is so much better than what you can purchase. It’s fresh, crunchy and you can pack it with your favorite add ins. But first you need a base and this is my go-to recipe.

It’s slightly sweet from a combination of honey, agave nectar and brown sugar. This combination not only tastes great but it easily coats the oatmeal and other additions and makes it crunchy as it bakes without making the granola too sweet. (If you want a super sweet treat for breakfast go with some gooey pecan sticky buns.)

It also gets flavor from an unusual combination of lime juice and cayenne pepper. A friend shared this combination with me and trust me, it makes the granola stand out. It’s subtle, but you’ll notice some heat from the cayenne and citrus from the limes. This isn’t a boring granola recipe.

From there you can change things up depending on your preference. I almost always include coconut and pecans – two of my favorites, but other than oatmeal, you can change almost anything. If you want it a little sweeter, you can use sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened.

Making this homemade granola recipe is pretty simple to do. You mix liquid sweeteners and seasonings with dry ingredients like oats, seeds, and nuts, and bake until it’s golden brown, dry, and crunchy. It only takes a few minutes.

How do you get granola to stick together?

For granola to stick together, the dry nuts and oat mixture needs to be cooked together with a sticky binding agent. This recipe uses honey, agave nectar, brown sugar, and egg whites. If substituting ingredients, make sure you have some type of liquid sweetener and don’t leave out the egg white.

Why You’ll Love Chili Lime Granola with Coconut

• Unexpected flavor: You may not have tried a sweet and savory granola like this one, and I promise, you’ll love the unexpected twist!
• Great for gifting: Granola makes a lovely Christmas or housewarming gift.
• Prep time is quick: just dump it together and bake.
• Adaptable: you can make every batch a little different depending on what you like.

Chili Lime Granola Ingredients

• Agave nectar – Agave nectar is available in the baking aisle of your grocery.
• Honey – This gives it flavor but also holds it together and makes it crunchy.
• Brown sugar – for some added sweetness.
• Lime zest & juice – You’ll want fresh limes for this.
• Unsweetened coconut – If you want it sweeter, you can use sweetened coconut. Either way it helps to toast it before adding to the mixture.
• Pumpkin seeds – salted or unsalted depending on your preference
• Pecans – a must for us Southerners
• Rolled Oats – you’ll need old fashioned rolled oats, not instant.
• Pantry Staples: Cinnamon, cayenne pepper, egg white, olive oil and salt.

How To Make Sweet and Spicy Granola

Step 1: Stir together the sweeteners and seasonings.

In a measuring cup or small mixing bowl, measure out the oil, agave nectar, honey, brown sugar, lime juice, lime zest, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Whisk or stir everything together until the mixture is smooth.

Step 2: Mix everything together.

In a large mixing bowl, add coconut, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, salt, and pecans. Toss everything together so it’s well mixed. Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir so that the oats and seeds are completely coated. Sprinkle the mixture with a bit more salt, then stir in the egg white.

Step 3: Bake.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dump the mixture on top.

Spread out in a single layer and bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet. It will continue to get crunchier as it cools.

When served over yogurt the contrast in flavors and textures is my favorite way to eat this. You can also use it to make granola banana muffins or just eat as a snack.

A Few Recipe Notes

• You can add additional ingredients and swap out sweeteners as you wish, but it’s important to keep the overall ratio of liquid to dry ingredients the same as the original recipe for it to bake to the ideal crunchy texture.
• Once you remove the granola from the oven, don’t stir it. Just let it cool. Clusters will naturally form as it cools.
• Watch it carefully near the end of baking to make sure it doesn’t burn. If it starts looking too brown, remove it from the oven.

Ingredient Replacements and Additions

Granola is so versatile and you can add or remove ingredients to customize it or to use up what’s in your pantry. Here are some ways you can adjust this recipe.

Ingredients Substitutions

Olive Oil – Use grapeseed, avocado, or even melted coconut oil instead.

Sweeteners (Agave Nectar/Honey/Brown Sugar) – You can replace honey with more agave nectar or maple syrup, or replace the agave with more honey, etc. Just keep the total amount the same.

Cayenne Pepper – The kick of heat from the cayenne isn’t overwhelming and makes this granola so unique. But you can leave it out and still have a delicious granola recipe.

Pumpkin Seeds/Pecans – Substitute these with other nuts or seeds like almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or cashews. You can also use a combination of different nuts or seeds based on what you like, and what’s in your cupboard.

Ingredient Additions

Dried Fruit – Add some extra sweetness and a different chewy texture with dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries mango, pineapple, papaya, or even apricots. You will need to add these after the granola has baked so they stay soft.

Spices – Try other spices like nutmeg, or even a pinch of cardamom. For a bit more heat, add a pinch of chili powder.

Citrus Zest – Add orange or lemon zest instead of lime zest for a different citrus taste.

Chocolate – Add mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or chocolate chunks after the granola has cooled if you’re a chocolate lover.

More Homemade Snack Recipes to Love

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.