This Chunky Granola recipe was actually my first post on the blog, but since no one was following me at the time, I thought it would be good to re-post. My family and friends love this stuff. I've adapted it from the More-with-Less Cookbook, by Doris Janzen Longacre. I've been making it for years, and I've given out the recipe a number of times. It's the perfect after-school snack, late-night snack, keep-you-going-during-work snack, etc.. It really doesn't take much time at all to make, and you get a nice big batch of healthy goodness for your efforts! It's a pretty easy recipe, but in case you've never made granola before, I've explained it step-by-step with photos.
Here is what you need:
- 4 Cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 Cup of wheat germ
- 1 Cup of coconut
- 1 Cup of peanuts
- 1/2 Cup of flaxseed meal*
- 1 Cup of local honey
- 1/2 Cup of canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
*If you don't have flaxseed meal on hand, feel free to substitute something else (like raisins); or, leave it out altogether.
First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then mix the first 5 ingredients in a big bowl:
Next, heat the oil, honey, and cinnamon in a small saucepan on the stove. Measure the honey in the same cup after you've measured and poured the oil so it doesn't stick to the measuring cup. Heat on high and bring to a boil, sitrring constantly:
As soon as it boils, pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir:
Once everything is combined, spread into a greased, 12x17" sheet pan, or two smaller pans. (Be sure to cover your pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.)
Spread it out thin, but you don't want to see any of the pan showing through the granola. If you're using a large pan like I did, it may not cover the whole pan. Next, throw it in your oven to bake. Bake at 325 degrees for 9 - 10 minutes. Then turn the pan around and bake for another 9 - 10 minutes - (I do this for even baking - most ovens bake hotter on one side.).... TOTAL baking time approximately 18 - 20 minutes.
Let the baked granola cool for about a 1/2 hour. Then break into chunks and store in an airtight container. When all the big chunks are gone, the small pieces make an excellent cereal.
Add some fruit, yogurt, coffee, and you've got a perfectly healthy breakfast. Enjoy!
I've been trying my hand at granola; the end result usually tastes OK, but I haven't been able to come up with a good recipe unless I add in peanut butter. I like your take on it. I think I'll give this a try as soon as our current supply runs out!
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