I’ve never been one of those people that needed to make my own granola. I have friends that do and I’ve enjoyed the batches they made, but never considered it to be something I needed to do. After all, when you bake for a living, there are some things you don’t want to make at home. However, I came across a recipe a while back that I have been tweaking for the last month or so and it’s time to share it with you. I am now a firm granola-from-scratch believer. The difference is literally mind-boggling. The flavor, the crunch, the texture, and the fact that you can put as much good-for-you-stuff in it that you want….you need to give it a try!
Here’s the recipe….and it’s super easy!
3C old fashioned, steel cut oats…not the instant kind, 1C coarsely chopped nuts of your choice (optional), 1/2C shredded coconut (also optional, but when toasted, it doesn’t taste like coconut), 5tbsp. packed brown sugar, 1 1/2tsp. cinnamon, 1/2tsp. ground ginger, 1/4tsp. salt (don’t skimp), 1/2C honey, 3tbsp. vegetable oil, 1C assorted dried fruits of your choice
Preheat oven to 300. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss to coat. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, really golden…you want some good color on it. Stir every 10 minutes and bake for about 40 minutes or until proper color. Place sheet on cooling rack, stir and cool. Mix in fruit (do not do before totally cooled or the fruit will be rock-hard). Store in an airtight container.
Before you mix in the honey, you can also add some other stuff to the mix if you like….I add about 1/3C milled flax seed, just to give it some more goodness and it doesn’t change the flavor or consistency at all, but feel free to experiement!
So there you have it…try it, let me know what you think….you will be a believer, I know it!!
