When I first discovered the world of online recipes, The Joy of Baking was a big influence. It provided clear, detailed recipes that even a novice could pull off successfully.
I spotted her recipe for homemade granola, and decided to give it a whirl. It was a daunting task. My impression of homemade granola was not quite crisp oatmeal filled with burnt raisins.
This recipe was a success from the first. I have tried several different granola recipes, but I always return to this one. For some reason, it no longer appears on the Joy of Baking website. I feel very fortunate to have printed it out before it disappeared!
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:: Homemade Granola ::
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Note: I usually make a double batch as one recipe will only get us through one breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (400 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (50 grams) shredded or chipped coconut
- 1 cup nuts of choice, chopped coarse
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins, etc.) optional
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300° F and place rack in center of oven. Either grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, coconut, nuts, and salt.
3) In a small saucepan set over medium low heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat. Stir in the honey, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the butter mixture.
4) Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every five minutes. Do not over bake.
5) Place on a wire rack to cool. You will notice that the granola is still sticky when you remove it from the oven but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Once the granola has completely cooled stir in your choice of dried fruits if desired. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag. It will keep for several weeks.
Makes about five cups of Granola
Edited on 2/19/08: The correct oven temperature is 300° F, not 350° F.
Oh wow, thanks so much for sharing! Lovely!
Oh this sounds good! I have lost my recipe and this sounds so much like it! The only difference is our old one had some whole wheat flour which made nice little chunks. What other types of food does your family eat for breakfast? We are trying to break the cold cereal habit and always looking for ideas aside from eggs as our chickens has quit laying for the time being.
There is no better way to start the day with a healthy portion of granola and a dollop of plain yogurt. Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Peggy: Breakfast around here is usually oatmeal of some sort: boiled, baked, or granola. Sometimes we have other hot grain cereals, such as wild rice and cracked wheat.
We also like pancakes, scrambled eggs, banana bread, and a big breakfast of fried eggs, sausage or bacon, and toast.
Erica
Erica,
I made your granola and it is by far our favorite! I’ve made two batches so far: one double using butter, pecans, and cranberries and the other using coconut oil, chopped macademias, and dried pineapple. I love the pineapple batch and the boys love the cranberry batch.
Thank you for the recipe!
Love that website, too. Good thing you were able to save this recipe.
I don’t have any maple syrup. Have you made it without that? All I have is some Mrs. Butterworths. Is that the same thing you use? I mean, it is not real maple syrup.
Sandra: Yes, I have made this granola using all honey instead of maple syrup. In fact, the original recipe calls for all honey. I think that the maple syrup gives the granola a better flavor, but it is still very tasty with only honey.
The type of maple syrup I intended was 100% pure maple syrup. I wouldn’t recommend using Mrs. Butterworths, just because I can’t stand the stuff. This a personal preference – if you like Mrs. Butterworths, by all means give it a try.
Erica