*Pre-baking
I make granola every week for the family I cook for. It’s one of my favorite recipes; it’s easy, satisfying, and you feel all Martha-Stewarty-Ina-Garteny for making something from scratch that most people normally purchase at a store.
This particular granola is golden, crunchy, and delicious. As a bonus, as you bake it, your entire home will smell amazing; it’s better than any scented candle, and just as good as homemade apple pie.
The recipe comes from Mark Bittman, and shockingly no added oil is necessary. If you’re into sticky chewy granola, pass on this. If you’re interested in a lower-fat, super crunchy, tasty cereal, try it out.
I follow the recipe almost exactly as instructed, but I’ve added some notes…
Ingredients
6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds- I chop up almonds and pecans, but any combo of nuts/seeds equaling two cups will work!
1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut – optional
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste – I like more
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup honey or maple syrup, or to taste – I use 1/2 a cup of honey and 1/2 a cup of maple syrup. When I’ve done all honey, the taste is too strong for me. Texture seems better with maple syrup too.
1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit- optional – I use 1/2 a cup of golden raisins (jumbo), and 1/2 a cup of dark raisins
*Post-baking
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt and sweetener. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven (I like to line my pan with foil). Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally (SUPER IMPORTANT – I stir it every 8-10 minutes at the beginning, and every 5 minutes towards the end). Mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be. THE GRANOLA IS VERY EASY TO BURN; I advise against too much multi-tasking while it’s in the oven, and defintiely stay in the kitchen.
2. Remove pan from oven and add raisins or dried fruit. It’s important to add the fruit while the pan is hot; the raisins plump up this way. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely. If you store it in a cupboard, it keeps about a week.