Heather’s Granola
Monday, March 07, 2011I’m not a big granola person… It tastes great, but it’s always so high calorie that it’s not quite worth it to consume {for me}—I’m getting ready to go to work, not climb a mountain! But when Heather came to visit a few weeks ago, she brought along a bag of homemade granola and I could not. stop. eating it. I politely tried a bite after she told me she’d made it and then was sneaking handfuls the rest of the weekend.
So before she left, Heather made sure to give me a lesson in homemade granola-making and I was all ears! Before we got going, we had to make a quick trip to Whole Foods to invest in a few granola staples: safflower oil {$3.49}, maple syrup {not syrup, maple syrup…$8}, and oats & seeds {We bought enough to make several batches and the whole thing was $7}, but it will all go a long way. And has anyone seen the wall of nuts & oats at Whole Foods?? Holy nuts Batman! The combinations of granola you could make are endless… I could make granola the rest of my life and never make the same batch twice!
So here’s whatchyaneed…
- Steel-cut oats {4 c.}
- Flaxseed {Optional}
- Pumpkin seeds {or sunflower seeds or whatever you want}
- Nuts {We opted for walnuts}
- Craisins {Or raisins, or whatever dried fruit}
- Safflower oil {1/2 c.}
- Maple syrup {1/4 c.}
- Honey {1/4 c.}
- Vanilla {1 t.}
- Cinnamon {Lots of shakes…it’s all up to you!}
- Not pictured: parchment paper
Heat the safflower oil, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon on low heat until they’re combined. {This doesn’t take long…just a minute or two.}
In a large bowl, combine all of the oats and seeds and combine. {There’s really no right or wrong amount or combination—a handful here or there of whatever you want.}
Pour the syrup mixture into the oats and combine until well coated. Do not add the berries.
Spread the mixture over a parchment-lined pan, thin enough that all of the oats get cooked.
Next, cook the oats in a 275 degree oven for 25 minutes. Then stir the oats until everything on top is now on the bottom. Cook for another 25-30 minutes.
Once out of the oven, sprinkle the berries on top and let cool. The granola will cool as a solid sheet, so break up the pieces and store in an air tight container.
I couldn’t believe how easy and inexpensive this was! But I still just can’t. stop. eating. it.
Let me know if you try it!
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