My Favorite Granola

I am a granola junkie. I love granola--for breakfast, for snacks for gifts. What's not to love about granola? I have several granola recipes on my blog and they are all delicious. Try any one of them and you will be happy. So why a new recipe?? Because it is the best! It is a pretty ordinary recipe with a few crucial differences. First use whole almonds and just rough chop them. I use my Pampered Chef Food Chopper, a few chops and you have an assortment of almond pieces. This adds a great texture. The next big difference is the way the granola is cooked. Spread it on a large rimmed cookie sheet and press it down with a large metal spatula. Use some pressure. Bake it--and Do Not stir it. When the granola is cool you can break it in chunks. This granola is crisp and light. It is delicious. It is a recipe from America's Test Kitchen. It is my new favorite granola!

My Favorite Granola
5 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups Almonds, chopped coarse
4 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Maple Syrup
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Dried Fruit--if desired
In a large bowl whisk together salt, sugar, syrup and vanilla. Add oil and mix well. Add oats and chopped almonds, mix until thoroughly coated. Transfer mixture to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a large stiff metal spatula press mixture into pan until compact.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes until light brown, rotating pan once half way through baking.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Break granola into pieces of desired size. Add dried fruit if desired.
Granola can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
Printable Recipe

Granola Bar Cookies

Each year Hubby hikes to the top of Mt. Timpanogos. It is an 18 mile round trip hike with some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. The weather is very unpredictable--but always amazing. Hubby went last week and hiked mostly in the clouds. I wanted to make a treat to add to his lunch--something more than a cookie but tastier than a protein bar. I found the perfect cookie, it is full of oats, dried fruit, nuts and a little white chocolate for fun. It is packable and delicious. It would be a great addition to a 'care package' for the starving college student. Or just hide a few in the freezer for those afternoon cookie cravings. Trust me--they are yummy.

Granola Bar Cookies or 11,752 Thousand Feet Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried fruit, I like a berries and cherries mix, chopped
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips
In the bowl of a mixer add butter and sugars, beat for 3-4 minutes till light, add eggs one at a time beating well after each one, add vanilla. Combine salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, flour and oats. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and stir gently. Add dried fruit, nuts and white chocolate chips. Stir gently.
Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan at 350 for 9-10 minutes till just golden. Cool on pan for several minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Printable recipe

 

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Coconut Oil Granola

I purchased a tub of Coconut Oil at Costco and have enjoyed finding recipes that include it. So far I have been very happy with this new find! I Googled, 'granola using coconut oil', several recipes appeared. Google is great. I read over many recipes and this was what I came up with. I love making granola--I have several recipes on my blog--all delicious I might add. Here is another granola recipe to add to the group! It is yummy.

Coconut Oil Granola
4 cups oats
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut curls
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
Mix oats, nuts coconut, salt, cinnamon and cardamom in a large bowl. In a small saucepan melt coconut oil, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir. Pour on a sheet pan and bake at 325 for about 25 minutes. Stir often. Cook granola until desired crispness. Granola will continue to get crisp as it cools. Be careful--it is easy to overcook! Enjoy with yogurt, fruit or milk.I just had some of this granola sprinkled on a bowl of vanilla ice cream--it is delicious, I know!
Printable Recipe

Olive Oil Granola

I have tried many granola recipes--you will find several on my blog--all delicious. But I had not tried granola that contained olive oil so of course I had to. Now I have another granola recipe that I love. This granola has plenty of sweetness: honey, pure maple syrup and brown sugar. It is flavored with cinnamon and cardamom, nuts and dried fruit round out the list of ingredients.
This granola stayed in chunks (maybe because of the egg white?) which I like--it is much easier to snack on. You also add the dried fruit before you cook it so the fruit is stuck to the yummy chunks of goodness. I liked it and will certainly make it again. I found it while looking at quilt blogs. It was a fun surprise in the middle of beautiful quilts!

Olive Oil Granola
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups nuts/seeds (I used raw cashews and slivered almonds)
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used King Arthur Flour's Fruit Cake Blend--best dried fruit on the planet)
1 egg white
Mix all ingredients except egg white in a large bowl stir until all the sweetness is incorporated. Whisk egg white and add to mixture, stir. Pour mixture on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment paper.
Bake at 325 for about 45-50 minutes, stir every 15 minutes. It will firm as it cools.
Serve on plain Greek Yogurt with fresh berries. It also makes a yummy snack.
 Thank you Crazy Mom Quilts for this fun recipe. She also has some amazing quilts to drool over.

Printable Recipe

Autumn Granola

I have 6 granola recipes on my blog, do I really need one more? Yes I do. This beautiful granola gets it's fall colors from some delicious dried fruit that I purchase from King Arthur Flour. It is their Fruitcake Blend but  don't let the word fruitcake scare you. This is my favorite blend of dried fruit because the pieces are small but the flavor isn't. It contains dried pineapple, golden raisins, apricots, cranberries and dates. Beautiful little bites of fall. I made two batches, one for me and one to share. Who doesn't like a bag of homemade granola.

Autumn Granola---inspired by Cooking For Seven

4 cups oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts but use what you love)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces butter (melted)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1 cup dried fruit
Mix oatmeal, coconut, nuts and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter, add syrup, honey and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir well. Spread on a sheet pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Stir often. When granola is cool add dried fruit.

Peanut Butter Granola

I had been baking one day and my sweet niece stopped in to sample my creations. The Peanut Butter Bars are always a hit. I made a batch of brownies that although not bad didn't make the blog cut. We came to the Peanut Butter Granola--I had Lacy sample it (now Lacy is expecting so factor that in). She like it, she really liked it. I suggested that I would probably serve it with fresh fruit and Greek Yogurt. She smiled and said, I think it would be good on ice cream! Lacy was right on. It was delicious on Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with a drizzle of chocolate! Yes, I also enjoyed it for breakfast with yogurt and fruit. However you serve it, it's delicious. Inspired by a recipe on Liv Life.

Peanut Butter Granola
4 cups oats
6 tablespoons ground flax meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
drizzle of honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Mix oats, flax meal and salt. Set aside. On low heat warm peanut butter, brown sugar and honey. Add vanilla. Mix with oatmeal stir well. Stir in egg whites. Spread granola on sheet pan. Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes stir once. I like my granola crispy so I baked it a little longer.

Blueberry Granola

I do love granola it is so versatile. Start with oats, add you favorite nuts; I cleaned the freezer on this batch I had almond slivers, raw cashews and pecans. I saved the macadamias for cookies. Sweetening can be honey, brown sugar or whatever you like. Salt, vanilla and cinnamon are good seasonings, this recipe also added cardamom. Melted butter or oil of some kind gives flavor and crunch. This recipe was enhanced by adding whole wheat flour (freshly ground) and flax seeds. Dried berries add flavor and texture. That is why I love granola!

Blueberry Granola
3 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups nuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1 cup brown sugar
4 ounces butter
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
In a very large bowl mix together oats, flour, nuts and coconut. In a pan over medium heat add brown sugar, butter and water. Heat till bubbly. Stir till smooth and add salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Pour over oat mixture. Mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes
Pour mixture on a large baking pan. Cook in a 300 over for 45-55 minutes, stir every 15 minutes. Mixture should be golden and dry. Cool and add dried blueberries.
Inspired by Sister's Cafe

Nutty Granola Clusters

 I love granola with milk, fruit or yogurt, I also like to eat granola for a snack. This is the perfect snacking granola, it is soft almost like a chunk of a oatmeal cookie. Did I mention that it is delicious and quick to make.
I found the recipe at The Red Spoon, a great blog with beautiful photography--check it out
.
Nutty Granola Clusters
2 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped assorted nuts, toasted
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 egg white
Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and nuts.
In a microwave safe bowl heat the butter and honey together until the butter is melted. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until combined.
Whisk egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Add to oat mixture and mix until incorporated.
Evenly spread oat mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Let granola cool completely, then break apart into clusters. Serve with milk,  fruit or yogurt.
The clusters remind me of a chewy granola bar. If you like crunchy granola check out this or this, both excellent.

Crunchy Granola

 I have a granola recipe that I love and have made for years. It is rich with butter, sweetened with honey and flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, it is delicious.
So why another granola recipe? I guess it is like chocolate chip cookies, you really can like more than one recipe. This granola is sweetened with dark brown sugar and maple syrup. The only real seasoning is salt. So it is salty, sweet and very crunchy. It cooks at a low temperature; therefore it is not as easy to overcook. This is important because I have been known to overcook my granola. There is a difference between overcooked and crunchy!
So here is a yummy recipe for:
 Crunchy Granola
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
3/8 cup dark brown sugar
3/8 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
 In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts and coconut. In a bowl combine brown sugar, maple syrup, oil and salt. Combine both mixtures by slowly pouring the liquid over the oatmeal mixture and stirring well.
Spread on large parchment lined baking sheet. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250, until golden. Cool and enjoy. Be prepared to make another batch--it disappears quickly.

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yogurt Creme

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs Pioneer Woman. It really is so simple I can hardly call it a recipe but it is delicious all the same! Just thin plain yogurt with a little cream, sprinkle with brown sugar, cover tightly and it will make it's magic as it sits in the fridge overnight. In the morning stir and drizzle over blueberries (I'm using frozen today) and top with Judi's yummy granola. Now that is a breakfast worth getting up for! Pioneer Woman has quantities on her blog but I used less brown sugar because my granola is quite sweet. I also used less cream--I like thick yogurt! Have fun, you can't go wrong.

Judi's Granola

I like to pretend I'm eating healthy when I eat granola--I mean it is full of oats, raw cashews, almonds, dried cherries. All ingredients that should make for a very nutritious breakfast or snack. But something happens when I add a pound of melted butter.....It turns into the most delicious treat you have ever eaten!! Try this granola recipe, there will never be another. The recipe came from Judi, again. I think she had to beg a chef, who will remain nameless on this blog unless Judi wants to tell. However I have made a few changes.

Judi's Granola

7½ cups rolled oats
2 cups sliced or slivered almonds
1 ½ cups raw cashews

1/2 pound butter, unsalted

2/3 cup honey

1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 t. nutmeg, ground

1 t. cinnamon, ground

6 oz. dried cherries

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a very large bowl. Melt together the next 5 ingredients while whisking. It should just come to the boil. Pour over the oat mixture and toss around until all oats and nuts are coated. Disperse onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees, tossing the mixture ensuring even baking. Stir after 15 minutes, cook 3 more minutes and stir, cook one more minute and remove from oven. Granola should just begin to brown. It will get darker as it sits. Don’t overcook it will still be good but too hard.When the granola has reached desired color, dump the granola onto a counter and toss a few times during its cooling time.When the granola has cooled, sprinkle on the dried cheeries, toss and put into a container. Cover and place in the pantry.