Featured Student: Granola

Everyone loves granola right? Not only is it a great, healthy snack by itself, this sweet, crunchy treat makes a perfect topping for yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, ice cream…you name it! Then there are the flavor options with combinations of just about every fruit and nut imaginable, not to mention chocolate! But, I know I’m not the only one that gets a little discouraged by the price tag on some of my favorite types of granola in the store. That is why I make my own! It’s super quick and easy and you can change up the ingredients however you like. In fact, I threw together a batch just now!  A few simple ingredients is all it takes and within minutes, you’ll have yourself a big fresh batch of granola.

Here are some ideas to get you on your way to homemade granola in no time!

GRAINS

The main one here is oats, but not just any oats! Old fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick/instant oats) are the way to go when making granola. Quick oats have already been steamed so that they cook more quickly and this means you won’t get the crunchy granola texture you’re after. Toasting the oats first will also bring out more flavor and one recipe I’ve used called for a 2:1 ratio of rolled oats to oat bran. The oat bran is more finely ground and adds a little something extra to the texture/crunch of your granola.

FRUIT

The dried fruit possibilities are endless!! I LOVE golden raisins, but regular raisins are good too – and pretty cheap! Other dried fruits that are great and a little less pricey include dried cranberries and apricots. Other options are dates, cherries, and blueberries. A great tip that I learned is to soak the dried fruit before baking it to help it stay moist and prevent it from burning. I boil some water (or 100% fruit juice) in a small saucepan, then add my dried fruit and reduce it to a simmer. Let the fruit simmer for a few minutes until it’s soft before adding it to the rest of your ingredients.

NUTS

Nuts not only add more crunch to your granola, but they are a great source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats that will help make your granola more filling! You can leave the nuts whole or chop them up depending on the texture you’re looking for. Some great choices are almonds, pecans, raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachios.

SWEETNERS

There are many options for the glue that holds your granola together. One that I use frequently is unsweetened applesauce. It’s a great way to coat your granola without adding a bunch of sugar or fat. It does tend to lead to a chewier granola due to the moisture, but I kind of like that. You could also use honey, agave nectar, brown sugar, or a combination of the above.

SEASONING

Another great way to add some flavor to your granola is by adding things like vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever spices sound good!

I like to take inspiration from recipes I’ve seen or tried before and combine it with whatever I have on hand when making granola. Different sweeteners, fruits, nuts, and flavorings give you different results and it’s fun to experiment. One of my favorites has been a pumpkin spice granola that I sweetened with applesauce.

Today, I toasted some oats and oat bran at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, I chopped up some mixed nuts (peanuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios) and toasted them at 400 degrees for a few minutes until they started to smell amazing. Next, I simmered some dried cranberries and chopped dried apricots before draining them and combining with the oats and nuts. Finally, I heated agave nectar with brown sugar on low for about 5 minutes and poured it over my other ingredients. I stirred it until everything was evenly coated and then spread it on a cookie sheet and baked it (at 400 degrees) for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it wouldn’t burn. It made about 5.5 cups of delicious granola, which I quickly taste-tested with some yogurt. It was delicious! J Hopefully that gives you a general starting point so you can go get creative and make your own granola creations!