D.I.Y. Recipe: Basic Granola Formula Recipes from The Kitchn

I love granola. My home kitchen version of granola is something like my college roommate's recipe for Vegetable Surprise: a little of this, a little of that, clean out the pantry, and, voila - a healthy, whole-grain start to your morning that takes little time and forethought (a Saturday morning at home reading the paper or cleaning house) and no need to read labels for hidden ingredients.

Combinations are limited only by your imagination. How about almond extract instead of vanilla? Add spices. A completely organic version, or one using all local ingredients? Let us know what you like in your granola!

Basic Granola Formula

Start with about 8 cups dry to 1 cup wet for a mildly sweet, crunchy granola, but feel free to adjust the proportions to your taste from there.

Dry (choose a few or all):
Rolled oats (5 to 6 parts)
Scottish or steel-cut oats
Wheat germ
Flax seed
Almonds, walnuts, pecans
Sunflower seeds
Shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Wet:
Canola, vegetable, or olive oil (1 part) ? (Don't be scared to use olive oil; even extra virgin imparts little flavor on the final product.)
Honey or maple syrup (3 parts)
Also add (per one cup wet): 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon table salt

Preheat oven to 250° F.

Combine dry ingredients and pour onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Combine wet and pour over dry, then gently mix. Bake for about 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

After baking, add 1-2 parts dried fruit such as raisins, blueberries, or cranberries.

[From Laura in Colorado...]

Comments (6)

i like to make my granola without oils, using apple juice concentrate as the binder. it cuts down on the fat/calories content but still gives the granola some clumpy-ness. yum. i've also seen suggestions for using egg whites instead of oil, but i have yet to try that out.

I love crunchy flaked almonds and hazelnuts balanced out with chewy raisins and tangy dried cranberries. It makes a hearty meal that sticks with me all day, though I prefer it with cold milk rather than warmed!

Holy mackerel! You can use steel-cut oats in granola? I assumed that using uncooked steel-cuts would break your teeth and using cooked steel-cuts would be slimy. How do they work?

Yes! Thelm, steel cut oats are great, in my opinion. I like those from Bob's Red Mill (which you can find in some grocery stores in my area). Definitely uncooked.

i am not really a sweet breakfast fan - and i often eat cereal type things as a snack, so i make savory granola with asian-flavored nuts such as soy-almonds or my fave, wasabi peas, and of course, granola, other nuts, spices like cumin or chili powder, and then golden raisins for contrast - this recipe is even better with corn flakes, crunchier...

mmmm. may have to go make some now.

Yum! I love the idea of throwing in whatever I have as long as I use a basic formula. Now to see what's in the pantry!