Granola

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After earning my stripes, on the farm, soaking oats for the last few months, I went back looking for more delicious breakfast secrets.  Since I had already experimented with steel-cut oats, it was time to test out rolled oats, their round, flat, more popular brother.  

Steel-cut

Rolled

The process is simple and doesn't take much time at all.  Here are the quick, easy steps to make homemade granola without any nasty preservatives or ingredients using words you can barely pronounce.  All you need is...

Rolled Oats (3 cups)

Raw Slivered Almonds (1 Cup)

Pecans (1 Cup)

Fresh Coconut Shavings (1 Cup)

Cinnamon (1 1/2 Tablespoons)

100% pure natural Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup (1/2 Cup) Please remember that Aunt Jemima is not your aunt and instead grab some of that fantastic natural maple syrup.  Also, while we're at it, check out the ingredients in Aunt Jemima's pancake syrup vs Maple Valley's pure maple syrup...hmm.

Auntie J: INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.(Reference directly from the aunt jemima website)

Maple V: INGREDIENTS: MAPLE SYRUP (Reference directly from Maple Valley website)

You do the math.

Vegetable Oil (1/4 Cup)

Salt (3/4 Teaspoon)

1.  Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl except the salt.

2.  In another bowl, mix the maple syrup, vegetable oil and salt.

3.  Evenly pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.

4.  Once completely blended, spread the raw granola mix over a buttered/oiled baking sheet.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook for 15 minutes.  Make sure to stir the ingredients after about 7 minutes and keep an eye on it to ensure it is not getting burned. 

5.  Finally, let the granola cool and add any dried fruit you like.  Dried blueberries have been a huge hit with dried cranberries coming in a close second.

Recap

3 Cups rolled oats

1 Cup raw slivered almonds

1 Cup crushed pecans

1 Cup fresh coconut shavings

1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 Cup Grade A dark amber natural maple syrup

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

butter/oil

Healthy additions after cooking:

Dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries or bananas can be added after

Unhealthy "but so good" additions before cooking:

White chocolate chips

Brown sugar

Mix oats, nuts, coconut and cinnamon in one bowl.  Mix maple syrup, vegetable oil and salt in a another bowl.  Combine all ingredients and stir until blended evenly.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes on a buttered/oiled baking sheet.  Make sure to stir after 15 minutes.  Let cool and add any extras.  

As always, let us know if you have any suggestions on how to make this simple recipe even better.

Enjoy.