Making granola is a bit like making party mix. You measure the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to coat them well, then bake slowly, stirring periodically. You may find you like it for a snack as well as for breakfast.
When you making granola you use a different set of ingredients than party mix. It is based on oats and any number of additions can make for variety and fit your family's dietary choices. It is a fun activity for young cooks who love to measure. You will need a box of oatmeal. Quaker or 3-Minute Brand oats work well. Don’t use quick or instant oats.
You will also need a sweetener -- honey or brown sugar. (This can be omitted for diet needs, but should not be replaced with sugar substitutes.)
Use nuts, raisins, seeds and coconut to fill out the granola and oil to flavor and combine the ingredients. Spices to add are sweet ones like ground cinnamon.
Follow directions carefully and be cautious when stirring baking granola. This granola is sweet and easy to chew. It is not full of hardened clumps.
Cooled and packaged in Ziploc bags, it makes a nice gift food since it keeps well and can easily be mailed.
Basic Granola Recipe
- 8 to 10 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup canola or pecan oil
- ½ cup honey
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup raisins
Directions for Homemade Granola
- Set oven temperature at 350 ºF.
- Combine all ingredients, except the raisins, in a large bowl and stir until all the oats are well coated.
- Spread out evenly in 13x9 inch baking pans and place in the warm oven.
- Set your oven timer at 15 minutes. When it rings, stir the mixture and continue stirring every fifteen minutes 45 minutes.
- Add the raisins and bake 5 more minutes.
- Lay waxed paper on the countertop. You will need to lay two sheets about two feet long overlapping each other sideways to make a wide 2 foot sheet.
- Remove the browned granola from the oven and pour it unto the waxed paper to cool. Spread it out on the sheets of waxed paper.
- When it has cooled completely lift the paper and pour the granola into a container with an airtight lid like a Tupperware cereal saver or a plastic bowl with a lid.
Serve your granola for breakfast as a cereal with milk. Sprinkle it on yogurt. Try serving it in paper cups as a nutritious snack. Add a cup to bread to give it a unique flavor and extra nutrition. Any way you choose to serve it, people will be certain to love this new treat.
Granola is a healthy food, but it isn't only for hikers. It is lower in cost than prepackaged cereals. By making your own granola, you can know exactly what is in the cereal and can alter ingredients you want to leave out of your own diet. You can mix and match ingredients until you get just the flavor and consistency you like.
Elece Hollis - Elece Hollis is a freelance writer. She has contributed to fourteen books through Snapdragon Editorial Group with several Christian ...
