Homemade Granola
I love breakfast but unless it’s Sunday morning, it has to be fast. . .and good. . .like this Breakfast Pizza or even faster ~ a bowl of plain Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit and Homemade Granola. It’s so ridiculously delicious sometimes I eat it by the fistful. . .without yogurt. . .or fruit. Just sayin’.
Pretty much every store in town sells granola, but it’s not the same as Homemade Granola. Homemade is fresher, less expensive, tastes better because it only has the ingredients you really like in granola and you can actually pronounce all the ingredients. There are so many varieties of granola. I’m sharing my favorite; swap in~out ingredients to suit your own taste. This time of year dried cranberries instead of coconut are a good option. Same goes with the fruit you eat with it. Apples are in season right now and go great with the granola. In the summertime it’s strawberries and blueberries.
What fruits will you eat with your Homemade Granola?
Simple ~ but use a timer so you don’t burn it (speaking from experience!) ~ and the aroma is a Yankee candle all by itself.
Preheat the oven then chop about 2 cups of nuts. Almost any kind of nuts work ~ I like a combination of pecans and almonds, but walnuts are good too. Add the chopped nuts to a bowl, along with the oatmeal, coconut, brown sugar, maple syrup, vegetable oil, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Blend everything together then spread the Homemade Granola onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Stir it really well, spreading it out again and return the baking sheet to the oven for 10 more minutes. Oven times vary, so check the edges. If they’re starting to brown and crisp a little, it’s done. If it needs more time, check it every 3-4 minutes. When it’s finished, drizzle some honey across the top of the Homemade Granola — back and forth . . .and forth again if you really like honey, but don’t go crazy. I went crazy once with honey. It wasn’t pretty.
Let it cool completely then store it in a glass or plastic airtight container. If you don’t have either, a ziplock bag works well, too.
Homemade Granola makes a really great DIY holiday gift too. Just transfer it to small mason jars, tie a bow or raffia around the jar and share with friends and family.
- 3 C old fashioned oats
- 2 C nuts (any combination of almonds, walnuts or pecans - total amount 2 cups)
- 3/4 C coconut
- 1/4 C light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/3 C maple syrup
- 1/4 C vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- **Honey
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Chop the nuts then add to a bowl with the oatmeal, coconut, brown sugar, maple syrup, vegetable oil, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Blend everything together then spread onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Stir it really well, spreading it out again and return the baking sheet to the oven for 10 more minutes.
- When the edges are starting to brown and crisp a little, it’s done. If it needs more time, check it every 3-4 minutes.
- When it’s finished, drizzle some honey across the top of the Homemade Granola in a back and forth motion.
- Cool completely then store it in a glass or plastic airtight container or ziplock bag.
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Laura Dembowski
September 8, 2015
I love homemade granola and have never even bought it at the store. I don’t stir mine, though, so it’s extra clumpy – yum!
Bernie
September 8, 2015
Mmmmm — thanks Laura — I need to try the no-stir method. I like the clumps too! 🙂