Homemade (low sugar) Granola
Next week I’m headed out of town for a few days. I’m taking a red-eye back to the East Coast. My Godfather’s son is getting married, and to me they’ve always been just like cousins. It will be a good time to see everyone including my family. Since both flights are at weird hours I thought it’d be best to pack a snack. I wanted something that wouldn’t melt, wasn’t terribly messy, and didn’t have an odor.
Nick and I have been talking about making granola so I thought this was the perfect time to try making a batch. I searched high and low on the Internet of recipes. Some had things like peanut butter, agave, sugar, cereal, coconut, dried fruit, and other liquid components. I wanted to make something that was on the “ healthier” & “lighter” side. I stumbled across two recipes that had ingredients that I liked and I combined them.
Low Sugar Granola
Bake: 325/350 for 55 minutes total
1st (350)time: 15 minutes
2nd(350) time: 20 minutes
3rd (325)time:20 minutes
*if your oats are too brown, pull them out of the oven (they will burn!)!
*if your oats are too brown, pull them out of the oven (they will burn!)!
· 10 cups Old Fashioned Oats (I used 42 ounces of Old Fashioned Oats!) Substitution: If you can’t find old fashion you could use quick oats; they’re finer to cook faster. During baking check to ensure the oats are not burning
· ¼ cup ground flaxseed (I use golden most the time)
· ¼ cup wheat germ (this is found on the cereal aisle near the oatmeal; hot cereal)
· 2 tablespoons cinnamon
· 1 tablespoon ground ginger
· ½ teaspoon nutmeg
· ¾ cup vegetable oil
· 4-41/2 cups of nuts any combination will work. (I decided to use what was lingering in the closet… almonds and pecans)
Here is what I used to make 4 ½ cups of nuts/seeds--
§ ¼ cup silvered almonds
§ ¼ cup pecan halves
§ 2 cups raw pepitas
§ 2 cups raw sunflower seeds
· 2-3 cups dried fruit any combination will work.
Here is what I used to make 2 cups of dried fruit--
§ 1 cup dried cranberries
§ 1 cup mixed dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, and mangoes)
· 3/4-1 cup honey (you want your mixture to be glistening)
** Optional: ½-1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest
Step one: combine oats, splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a large pot. Stir all dry goods together.
Remember: you *MUST* grind your flax seed!
Step two: line 2-3 baking sheets with tin foil
Step three: mix oil, wheat germ, and flax seed into the oat and spice mixture.
Step four: spread mixture onto lined baking sheets.
Step five: bake for 15 minutes
Step six:::: flip oats with spatula, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Step seven: heat honey in Pyrex measuring cup for approximately 40 seconds in the microwave (until honey is thin). Once honey is removed from microwave zest ½-1 teaspoons of fresh orange zest into honey.
Step eight: once oat mixture is out of the oven, gently pour mixture back into large pot. (Be kind to the tin foil, you will re-use it) Remember to turn off your oven!
Step nine: mix in dried fruit to mixture, and stir.
Step ten: mix nuts and seeds into mixture, and stir.
Step eleven: slowly stir honey into mixture.
Step twelve: spread mixture back onto tin foil covered baking dishes.
Step thirteen: place-baking sheets into the oven, let sit in oven over night.
(Recipe adapted MotherNatureTalks.Com)
Additional Information: I typically now use dried blueberries, dried cranberries, and golden raisins. For nuts I use raw silvered almonds, raw sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds, raw pepitas, and a little bit of raw pecans. When I am about to get chia seeds I also add those to the mixture.
Enjoy!
