Granola today
I’ve been making granola weekly for over two years now, ever since Trader Joe’s discontinued my favorite fruit & nut combo. I started with a recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Feast, which I posted over on the old blog, and then I posted my adaptation here, but I keep changing it (continuing to cut down the sugar, and adding more seeds and grains) so it’s time once again for an update! Besides, Gail asked me so nicely.
6 c rolled oats and/or raw multigrain cereal flakes (Trader Joe’s carries a nice barley-oat-rye-wheat flake mix that I use)
2 c raw slivered almonds
1 c raw pumpkin seeds
1 c raw sesame seeds
1 c raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c ground flax meal
1/2 c wheat germ
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 scant c honey, rice syrup, maple syrup, or some combination thereof (I use half brown rice syrup and half honey)
Preheat oven to 320. Stir together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Add the oil and honey or syrup, and combine well. Pour into two large, lightly oiled baking pans (I use two metal roasting pans) and bake for 45 minutes, stirring two or three times along the way. Remove from the oven then cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
I’ve been making granola a lot lately, too. I’m interested that you leave the applesauce out now; can you tell what difference it makes? I’ve cut the sugar back in mine as well but haven’t added the flax meal yet–good call!
I used to make the applesauce for the granola, but inevitably burned it. I really never burn food, and this was getting kind of comical (and wasteful!) So then I went to the individual serving tubs that Ben was taking to preschool, but when he stopped eating those, I wasn’t going to buy applesauce just for granola. I honestly don’t notice a difference — I suppose I’m losing a couple vitamins and some appley essence, and perhaps the granola clumps up a tiny bit less? But it still tastes delicious to me. If the kids start eating applesauce again, I’ll probably start putting it in the granola again, too!
Thank you Caroline! I’m making this tonight since my oldest who loves granola the most in the family arrives home from college tomorrow!
You adapted this from a Nigella Lawson recipe? Ooh, I like her cookbooks! I have Feast and Nigella Express — both are being heavily used. Especially Express, for the rather obvious reason that most dishes don’t take long at all.