Homemade granola (foolproof formula)

Yes, I make my own granola. The reason?

1. It’s super easy.
2. It’s healthy (you know exactly what’s in it).
3. It’s cheap (my recipe will give you 20 servings for only $9 total cost).
4. Everyone will love it (you can customize it to your liking).
5. It is great quick breakfast item.
6. You can snack it too!

There you have it. I always have jar of granola ready in my pantry. I throw it in my yogurt with some fruit and I am happy camper usually until lunch :) This is picture of my breakfast:

Ha! Pretty right? I like lots of nuts in my granola, with some flax seeds, brown rice syrup (which gives it even more nutty flavor) and some chopped apricots. My friend makes for her kids chocolate version, with cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Here’s couple notes about ingredients –

• Use any oats you like, just make sure they are whole (not deconstructed like quick cooking oats etc.) For gluten-free people like me, I recommend Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats, they are the most consistent every time for me.
• Do not omit 1/2 teaspoon of salt – this brings all flavors together!
• Have fun with nuts, seeds and dried fruit – no boundaries in here. If your nuts are already roasted, you may throw them in after baking.
• Play around with syrups and see what works for you. I like brown rice syrup the best because it’s not as sweet as other syrups and it also has interested nut-like flavor. You can never go wrong with maple syrup and honey. Be careful with agave nectar as it could be more sweet than you expect.
• Keep it simple – maximum of 2 kinds of nut and about 2-3 kinds of seeds will do the best job. Trust me, I learned on my own…

Here’s the basic formula:

I would love to hear about your favorite granola combinations. Please share with me in the comment section.

Pecan Mango Granola

• Servings: 20
• Time: 60 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp flax seed
• 1 cup big coconut chips
• 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried chopped mango
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together all ingredients except for dried fruit.
3. Bake for 45 mins, stirring granola after 25 mins of baking.
4. Let cool completely.
5. Add dried fruit.
6. Store in airtight container.

recipe by SweetAndSourChef.com

Helpful to have:

  

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