Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Homemade Granola

Finally! I have finally gotten around to making some homemade granola which has been on my "Recipes I Need to Try List" for quite some time. I don't know why it has taken me so long because it really is quite simple to make. A few of you have even asked me if I have a recipe for homemade granola. Now I do.

We will be taking a very long road trip home to Spokane next week and I wanted some granola for a healthy snack in the car, but I also wanted it for a topping on my Greek yogurt and blueberry breakfast.

I tried to keep it simple with the ingredients I already had on hand but I will do some more experimenting eventually for some different flavors. Maybe I will even experiment in Spokane with my sister because she L-O-V-E-S granola!

Into the large bowl went:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped 

Give all of those dry ingredients a good stir.

Then I added the wet ingredients right into that bowl.
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons agave

I spread that out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and put it in a 325 degree oven.

Total baking time will be 20- 25 minutes but at every five minutes you will need to take the granola out to give it a good stir and then shake the tray so it all spreads out evenly on the pan again. Watch closely towards those last few minutes so you don't end up getting it too brown. It did crisp up a little bit more after it cooled. I also added about a half cup of raisins after it was all cooled off.

It made a very delicious addition to my yogurt parfait this morning.

I mixed a packet of stevia and some cinnamon with my yogurt in a separate bowl first  then I layered the yogurt, granola, frozen blueberries, and a drizzle of agave three times. One sweet little girl woke up early today (by early I mean summertime early at 8am) and decided she liked mine so much she wanted one of her own.
Hooray, the queen of cereal has broadened her horizons!

I filled my granola container after I had a few handfuls of course. I am guessing I will have to make another batch before we leave next week because this is a great snack that won't last that long, especially if I eat it for breakfast too.

I love that this granola is only slightly sweet and that I was in total control of how much sugar and sweetness I wanted it to have. That is my complaint with most store bought granola. The ingredient list is usually fairly healthy, but then they have to ruin it by adding a ton of added sugar and sometimes oil.

When I was stirring in the wet ingredients I realized it wasn't quite enough and that is why I added the extra two tablespoons of agave. You could do all maple syrup or honey as well but next time I might try to add more applesauce instead and less syrup. I will probably need to add a bit of stevia to the dry ingredient list if I change that up.

I am super excited now to try some more recipes. It could become like my date ball addiction. I do have 3 more flavors to add to that growing list. Don't say I didn't warn you!

P.S. Be proud people! I totally measured and wrote this recipe down as I made it so I could be accurate for you all.

Homemade Granola
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup almonds, measured then chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, lightly salted and roasted
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, measured then chopped
1 Tbsp. flax seed
2 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or brown rice syrup)
3 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey)
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries or other dried fruit of choice
Optional: Use whatever combination of syrups, agave, and/or honey you prefer. If you want to lessen the amount of those sweeteners for a less calorie choice use all applesauce (9 tablespoons) and add about 1/4 cup stevia to the dry ingredient list.

Directions: In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and stir again. Spread mixture out evenly onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 mintues stirring every 5 minutes and spreading back out until crispy and slightly browned. Let cool completely and add dried fruit of choice.

3 comments:

Janelle said...

WOO HOO PAM!! Thanks for this!!! Questions....how could you make this into a granola bar?

What does the applesauce do to the granola....add sweetness or wetness or both?

To use honey instead of agavae would you substitute equal parts?

Pam Rohde said...

Janelle, the applesauce adds both a little sweetness but mostly the moisture you need without adding oil. Substitute honey equally for agave. To make them into a bar I think you would have to add more moisture and/or something more sticky like dates or peanute butter that would help them hold together enough for you to shape them into a bar. I might mess around with that at some point myself.

Bernice said...

Great Job Pam. I have also made some granola. I added some of that lovely coconut we bought at Cash Wise. It toasts up nicely in the granola. No more store bought ceral for me.