“Granola is excellent for breakfast served with milk or to add to yogurt along with fresh sliced fruit. It also makes for a tasty snack at all hours of the day. The other nice thing about granola is you can use up all your baking odds and ends that are floating in your pantry.” – April Ferre
Granola
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1 1/2 Cups Nuts Raw or Roasted
- 1/2 Cup Seeds
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Shredded or Flakes, Optional
- 1/2 Cup Sweetener
- 1/2 Cup Neutral Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 to 1 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Cup Dried Fruit
- 1/2 Cup Baking Chips Optional
Instructions
Customize your Granola Options:
- Nuts: Almonds (whole, sliced, or slivered), Pecans, Walnuts, Cashews, Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Pistachios, Macadamia Nuts or any combination thereof.
- Seeds: Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas), Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds or Chia Seeds. For small seeds like Flax or Chia use only 1 to 4 Tablespoons.
- Sweeteners: Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave. Add 1 to 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar for added sweetness.
- Neutral Oils: Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Light Olive Oil (not Extra Virgin), or Vegetable Oil.
- Spices: Instead of traditional cinnamon and nutmeg, you can experiment with ginger, cardamom, curry powder, or chili powder. Use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon total. You can also try orange or lemon zest (up to 2 teaspoons.)
- Dried Fruit: Cranberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Apricots, Raisins, Sultanas, Dates, Pineapple, Papaya, or Banana Chips.
- Baking Chips: Dark, Milk or White Chocolate, Butterscotch or Peanut Butter.
Recommended Combinations:
- Cranberry-Almond: Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Coconut, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Dried Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips.
Method:
- Set your oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds and coconut; toss until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sweetener, oil, salt and spices. Pour over oat mix and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is evenly coated.
- Spread on to prepared baking sheet and firmly press down with the back of your spoon. This will help create the granola clusters.
- Bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The granola should feel dry, but won't be crunchy yet.
- Let cool, undisturbed, on a wire rack for 45 minutes to an hour or until completely cool. Your granola should now be crisp and crunchy.
- Break the granola into clusters and then add dried fruits and baking chips. Stir to combine.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. Makes approximately 9 cups.
2024 Adapted Recipe – April Ferre – Adapted from Jessica Gavin