Homemade Granola

Granola is a breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey and sometimes rice which is baked until crunchy. During the baking process the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose, breakfast-cereal-type consistency. I used to buy them from the super mart ready made and it was quite pricey. I decided I am going to make my own granola and tada here is it….a tupper full of crispy goodness! I added in dried fruits like cranberries, sultanas, dried apricots and dark raisins after the granola cools down for extra flavor.

Good as a breakfast food and snacks for the family….and homemade granola can keep for several weeks in the fridge. Easy to make too and the rolled oats and nuts coated with maple syrup and flavored with cinnamon spice, when baked gave out a nice aroma. With the added dried fruits…it makes a complete breakfast diet. Full of fiber and vitamins ! You can eat with cold milk or alone by itself as snacks . A bowl of it a day keeps the doctor away !

Granola ingredients : Rolled Oats , pecan nuts, almond nuts,

walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

Dried fruits : Cranberries, dark raisins, sultanas and dried apricots

rolled oats with all the nuts and seeds and

mixed with maple syrup mixture which consists of

melted butter/canola oil and ground cinnamon.

Baked at 165º C for 30-45 mins, stirring occasionally.

Cool them before adding in the dried fruits and mixed them well.

Store in airtight container.

Homemade granola can keep for several weeks in the fridge.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:

300 gms rolled oats
75 gms sliced or silvered almonds
50 gms raw sunflower seeds
50 gms raw pumpkin seeds
150 gms of assorted nuts - of your choice
( I used pecan, walnuts, almonds and walnuts )

120 ml maple syrup/honey
2 tablespoons canola oil or 28 gms unsalted butter (melted)
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp ground cinnamon

1 cup dried fruits of your choice
( I used cranberries, dried apricots, raisins/sultanas )


Method:

Preheat oven to 165º C and place rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, ground cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil/melted butter) and maple syrup. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss together, making sure all the nuts, seeds and rolled oats are coated with the liquid. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 -45 mins or until golden brown, stirring occasionally so that the mixture is browns evenly. ( The browner the granola gets ( without burning of course) the crunchier the granola will be ). Place on a wire rack to cool. The granola may still be sticky when it is removed from the oven but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Make sure to break up any large clumps of granola while it is still warm. Once the granola has completely cooled, add in the dried fruits and mixed well . Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks.

Enjoy and stay healthy !

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