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I think Mother Nature was reading my blog post yesterday and decided to play a trick on me.
I woke up to a fresh blanket of snow this morning. It is gorgeous out there right now! No more grass for this town.
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Eric has been asking me to make homemade granola for a few weeks now, and I finally got around to it. I always forget how much I love making granola.
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The smell of the fresh granola coming out of the oven is intoxicating, as I sneak bites knowing full well that I am going to burn my tongue, but it tastes too good to wait for it to cool.
And that first bowl of granola with almond milk poured over top…well nothing beats it.
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I’ve made Power House Glonola before, but I wanted to improve upon the recipe and see what I could come up with. I doubt I will ever make the same recipe twice!
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My Favourite Granola (to date!)
This granola is crisp, flavourful, and addicting. Have fun mixing up the nuts and seeds. Enjoy it with your favourite milk poured over top for a delicious breakfast. Next time, I might try adding an extra 1 tablespoon of brown rice syrup to help it clump up a bit more as this granola was not as clumpy as I wanted it to be. It will keep for about 1 month refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Yield: ~6 cups
Ingredients:
Dry:
- 2.5 cups rolled oats (regular not instant)
- 1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 2 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Wet: (See note below)
- 3-4 tbsp brown rice syrup (I used 3 tbsp, but next time I will use 4 tbsp so it clumps more)
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp applesauce, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
Add-ins:
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup raisins
- handful pepita seeds
Directions: preheat oven to 300F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the wet ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a very large mixing bowl, Mix together the dry ingredients.
Add the wet mixture (while still warm!) over top the dry mixture and stir well. It will be very thick and hard to stir, but keep at it until everything is thoroughly combined.
Spread onto a pan lined with parchment paper or a non-stick mat and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 300F. Remove the pan from the oven every 15 minutes and give the granola a good stir to ensure even baking.
Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes on the pan before serving. The granola will stiffen up as it cools. Makes about 6 cups and will keep for 1 month in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Note: You can probably substitute the brown rice syrup and agave nectar for other liquid sweeteners, although please note that the flavour and crispness will change.
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The first thing you do is gather your wet ingredients…
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I always admire my brown sugar when it comes out of the measuring cup like that!
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Stir well in a saucepan.
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Heat over medium.
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Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
While the wet mixture is simmering, grab your dry ingredients.
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For the nuts and seeds, I used 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1/2 cup walnuts, and 1 cup of almonds. All raw. I roughly chopped the walnuts and almonds, but you still want mostly large pieces.
Oats, sweetened coconut flakes, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground flax.
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Mix all of the dry ingredients together…
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. It will be very thick and sticky, but keep at it until it is thoroughly mixed. You can do this!
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Now we’re talking!
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Grab a spoon and shove into mouth.
That is some good granola.
Spread onto a baking sheet…
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Bake for 45 minutes at 300F, stirring every 10-15 minutes to ensure even baking.
Voila!
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As the granola cools it will firm up. The result is a crisp granola, but the clumps did not hold together. Next time, I will add another tablespoon of brown rice syrup in hopes of increasing the clump factor!
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
Now stir in your dried fruit. I added 1/3 cup raisins and 1/3 cup dried cranberries. I also decided to toss in some pepita seeds for colour.
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Lovely.
Just lovely.
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Grab a 2 litre bell jar.
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That’ll do.
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It fits perfectly!
This granola makes a wonderful gift too. Valentine’s Day, perhaps? Maybe there are some men reading whose girlfriends/wives would like some…
That would be so romantic, wouldn’t it?
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I’m here for you girls.
Now pour yourself a bowl and enjoy with some of your favourite milk. I love it with Vanilla Almond Milk and a tablespoon of hemp seeds tossed in for some protein.
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It is just the perfect winter breakfast.
This sounds (and looks) heavenly!
it seems so obvious now, but i never thought to heat the wet ingredients before mixing them in the oats/nuts! over christmas i moade some with PB for the first time and fell inlove.
great addition with the applesauce – granola one of thise where i am always looking for ways to cut back on the sugar. :)
Yum! I recently started making my own granola every week instead of buying it at the store and this looks great. I will definitely have to give your recipe a try :)
I love making granola…and usually tweak each batch a little bit! Yours looks super fabulous—I usually make one that has goji berries and acai pulp in it, and that’s pretty amazing too!
~Lisa
PB, Coconut Oil, Agave, Brown Rice, Brown Sugar…omg those are some of my fave things in all of life. There is no way this granola couldnt be amazing with all that included!
I think I could just drink that :)
Great work, Angela!
That granola looks PERFECT! and if it’s your favorite to date, it must be good! You would know good granola afterall. :P
I have never made granola either but this is so delicious looking. I really love granola and I am sure it is so much better homemade.
That looks so good. I can almost taste and smell it from the pictures
i’ve never had granola with peanut butter in it before…i’m thinking i need to hit that up ASAP!
Mmmm, I’ve never made my own granola! But I should after seeing this! :)
This looks fantastic! I do love warm granola, fresh from the oven with ice cold almond milk. So wholesome and nutritious, yet decadent!
My boyfriend pretty much melted the last time I made granola. I will have to give your recipe a try soon! Perhaps it would make a lovely homemade Valentine’s Day gift for him? :-)
Everytime I read your blog it’s like you read my mind… I was planning to make granola tonight! I can’t resist the bites straight out of the oven either :)
Hey Angela! Love the recipe! About how much of the Flax, and coconut did you add in there? Also would you mind if I adapted this to fit the needs of my site ( gluten, soy, dairy, corn, an nut free) and posted it there? Promise to give you credit and link back?! :)
Of course you can share!
I used 2 tbsp ground flax and 2 tbsp coconut flakes :)
I haven’t made granola in sooo long! This post definitely made me want to try your version. :)
yum! I’m always on the lookout for good granola recipes…this looks wonderful.
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
I love homemade granola! It’s possibly my most favorite treat to make!
What a fantastic and simple gift idea! I’m a big fan of the no-fail edible gifts!
I bet it does smell amazing! I think if I made it, I would add the hemp seeds to the mixture before baking.
I love the jar + ribbon! Super cute :)
I am drooling over here…
I have slowed down on my granola making, since I eat all of it in one day :| Its easy to much on, what can I say ;)
I usually sneak a little chocolate chips into mine to keep it interesting!
The snow is just starting here in Van, and I am so excited!
xxoo