Start the morning off right with a bowl of homemade, high fiber, delicious granola using this quick and easy recipe.
Judging from the fact that pre-made granola is so expensive, it may be surprising to find out that homemade granola is rather inexpensive to make. Plus, when made at home, granola can be customized to match the cook's preferences and won't contain any surprise ingredients. A bowl of granola in the morning is the perfect start to the day--high in fiber, a suitable source of protein, and delicious to boot.
The recipe below can easily be doubled to create enough granola to feed a large family or to sustain a single person or a couple for a couple of weeks.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup puffed rice
- 0.5 cup puffed kamut (see note)
- 0.25 cup sliced almonds
- 0.5 cup honey (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon safflower or other mild tasting oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or more to taste, optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, to prevent the granola from sticking.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, puffed rice, puffed kamut, sliced almonds, and cinnamon, if using. In a measuring cup, combine the oil, honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mixing the honey with the oil will make it easier to pour into the grains.
- Add the honey and oil mixture to the oat mixture. Stir to coat the grains.
- Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the granola is lightly browned and slightly dry. Stir the granola every ten minutes to prevent the edges from burning. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool, stirring granola every now and then to break it up. Transfer to an air tight container.
Note: Any type of puffed grain may be used instead of the puffed kamut or puffed rice.
Variations
A variety of add-ins make homemade granola unique to each cook.
- For a sweeter breakfast: add 0.5 cup of chocalate chips to the granola once it cools. Do not add them before baking, as they will melt.
- To get more fruit: add 0.5 cup of raisins, dried cherries, or other dried fruit to the granola once cooled.
- Super nutty granola: Add 0.5 cup of chopped peanuts, chopped pecans, or chopped cashews or a combination of nuts to the mixture before baking. Make sure the nuts are unsalted and raw.
- Add some extra fiber: Sprinkle the granola with wheat germ or ground flax seeds prior to baking.
- Vegan granola: Substitute 1/3 cup agave nectar or maple syrup for the honey.
Yield: About 6 half cup servings.
The copyright of the article Easy Homemade Granola in Vegetarian Recipes is owned by Amy Freeman. Permission to republish Easy Homemade Granola in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
