by Lexie (busily multi-tasking)
My favorite thing about homemade granola is how customizable it is. Most recipes start with rolled oats and then you can add whatever you like: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips…. There’s really no wrong way to do it. The bulk of my recipe isn’t set in stone, so have fun!
Maple syrup gives the granola most of its flavor; the honey acts as more of a binding agent (my mom isn’t too big a fan of the taste so I only use a little). It’s wonderfully crunchy and is great in yogurt, or just plain, by the handful! Seriously, it’s that good.
Lexie’s Homemade Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups add-ins [roughly chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, whatever nuts you like; dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, and/or figs); and raw seeds, like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds]
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup butter, melted
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 TBSP. honey
½ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Mix ingredients in a large bowl and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 90 minutes or until the granola is lightly golden. Break apart the clumps and let the granola sit until dry and crunchy. (By the way, this will make your house smell positively heavenly while it’s baking. Trust me.) You can store granola in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several months. Not that this would ever last that long around here!
Great–we are going to try this! Ruby made granola at preschool and I asked her what ingredients they used. She said, “sunflower seeds, oatmeal, and little squishy things that are kind of orange” (must have been dried apricots) Thanks for sharing, Lexie!
Ooo…It never occurred to me to mix in figs. That sounds tasty!
Lexie….it sounds wonderful, as do the banana muffins. I think I have some over-ripe bananas in the freezer.
What fun to read your recipes and your writing. Thank you for sharing.