While in Germany, Numeracy Grrrl served me this amazing cashew, honey museli for breakfast. It was delicious! Reminded me a bit of the pecan praline and pumpkin spice granola I adore from Trader Joes. So when we returned home I had a serious craving for some yummy granola. I've read it's super easy to make so I decided to give it a go. Most of the recipes I found online called for quite a bit of sugar but then I found this one on Chocolate & Zucchini.
What I like most about this recipe is how general it is. You have the freedom to use all sorts of ingrediants. Plus it calls for very little sugar.
So far I've made the recipe twice, each time varing the type of sugar, spices and nuts. Both times it has come out deliciou and as C says, "it's easy, peasy" to make. Here's the recipe if you'd like to give it a go.
Basic Granola Formula (courtesy of Chocolate & Zucchini)
- 280 grams (10 ounces, about 3 cups) rolled grains (oat, spelt, wheat, rye, quinoa, rice, barley... or a mix thereof)
- 170 grams (6 ounces, about 1 1/2 cups) nuts and seeds, roughly chopped (a mix of almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds...)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil...)
- 6 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, rice syrup... or a mix thereof; you can also use a fruit jam or unsweetened fruit purée, but use a little more then because they're not 100% sugar)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground spices (a mix of warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, a spice mix for pain d'épices, roasted citrus zest...)
- 5 tablespoons ground flaxseeds, soaked in 5 tablespoons water for 15 minutes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Optional:
- 30 grams (1 ounce, about 1/2 cup) unsweetened dried coconut (I like chips better than flakes or shreds)
- 30 grams (1 ounce, about 1/4 cup) oat or wheat bran
- 60 grams (2 ounces) chocolate, roughly chopped
- 120 grams (4 ounces, about 3/4 cup) dried fruit, roughly chopped if in large pieces (raisins, cranberries, prunes, dates, figs, blueberries, cherries, bananas, mangoes, apples... or a mix thereof)
The recipe may be doubled, using two baking sheets.
Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet, about 30 by 38 cm (12 by 15 inches). Place all the ingredients (except the optional dried fruits or chocolate) in a medium mixing bowl, and stir vigorously with a fork until evenly combined. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and place in the middle of the oven.
Set the oven on 150°C (300°F) and bake the granola, checking and stirring religiously every 10 minutes, until the mixture is browned to your liking -- it won't get crisp at this stage. In my oven, it takes about 30 minutes total, starting from a cold oven.
(If you've doubled the recipe, switch the two baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.)
Let the granola cool on the baking sheet -- it will crisp up as it cools -- and stir in the optional dried fruits or chocolate once cooled. Transfer to an airtight container and keep at cool room temperature for up to a month or so.
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