Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

Name: Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or agave; 3 cups rolled oats; 1 cup walnuts; 1 cup whole raw almonds; 1/2-1 cup additional nut of choice depending on size (I usually use peanuts or pecans); 1/4 cup chia seeds; 1/2 cup sesame seeds (I used 1/4 white & 1/4 cup black sesames); 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes; (Optional) 1/4 cup flaxseeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas; 1 cup dried cranberries (or dried fruit of choice); 1 tsp flakey sea salt (like Maldon), if using regular kosher salt, reduce it to 1/4-1/2 tsp

by Alice in Grains

8 Cups

40 min

There's something so naturally addicting about granola. The good stuff is salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy and just as delicious straight from the container as it is on top of yogurt, smoothies, ice cream and more! The best thing about granola is that it is SO EASY to make at home and extremely versatile. If you already have some staple ingredients on hand such as oats and nuts, then you're 90% there. This recipe is a great base to get your started before customizing with your favorite ingredients. I keep coming back to this recipe time and time again, but change around the mixture a little bit each time depending on what I have on hand. So here’s my hope: you take this recipe as a reference and make substitutions until you find your perfect granola mix. You want to add dried cherries instead of cranberries? Awesome. Pecans instead of walnuts? Go for it. Take some creative freedom and you will not be disappointed. If you want to make this on the healthier side - substitute the butter with coconut oil, cut down on the brown sugar & up the honey (or liquid sweetener of choice).

better than store bought addicting granola

Grab all of those nuts, seeds and dried fruit from the back of the pantry - it's time to get baking!

Prepare your syrup and oat mixture separate, then mix it all up!

Here's what you should be looking for prior to your first 10 minute bake.

After your first 10 minute bake, mixing in your dried fruit, another 15 minutes in the oven - voila! Crispy, chewy, salty, sweet - deliciousness.

Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

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Recipe details

Yield 8 Cups
Time spent: Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 25 Minutes Total time: 40 min

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% Daily value

Ingredients

Syrup

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or agave

Oat Mixture

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup walnuts
1 cup whole raw almonds
1/2-1 cup additional nut of choice depending on size (I usually use peanuts or pecans)
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds (I used 1/4 white & 1/4 cup black sesames)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
(Optional) 1/4 cup flaxseeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas
1 cup dried cranberries (or dried fruit of choice)
1 tsp flakey sea salt (like Maldon), if using regular kosher salt, reduce it to 1/4-1/2 tsp

Instructions

Heat oven to 350ºF, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make your syrup mixture: heat the butter, brown sugar and honey (or alternative liquid sweetener) on the stove until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Put aside.
Add oat mixture ingredients to the prepared baking sheet (except for the dried fruit), mix. Pour your syrup over the oat mixture and mix again until all of the dried ingredients are coated.
Flatten out mixture slightly - making sure to leave some air pockets to prevent "crowding" the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes remove the baking sheet, add in your dried fruit, give everything a good mix, top with some flakey sea salt (my favorite is Maldon) and place back in the oven for 15 more minutes or until everything is golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let sit until the granola is completely cooled then break into pieces (almost like toffee!).
Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Tips

This recipe is super versatile. I've substituted walnut for pecans, removed the coconut flakes altogether, added any seed and nut I could find in my cabinet - you name it. My only tip for customizing this recipe is to keep an eye on the amount of syrup you're using for the quantity of your dry ingredients and try not to crowd the baking sheet too much. If you add a lot of ingredients, try using multiple baking sheets -- or just keep in for a little longer!
This granola is definitely on the stickier side so make sure it's kept in a cool, dry place. If you notice it sticking a little too much, I would just add some parchment to your storage container and layer your pieces. Making sure the granola is cooled completely before storing will definitely help!
Since you're using dried fruit I always like adding it during the second bake cycle to not dry it out even further. If you're using a super "juicy" dried fruit such a whole cranberries or cherries, then you'll be fine adding it all together in the immediate mixture.

Comments

Mary Coakley on Dec 09, 2020

Delighted with your non meat recipes.great instructions

Like Reply
- Alice in Grains on Dec 11, 2020
  
  Thanks for following along Mary!
  
  Like

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Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

Recipe details

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Syrup

Oat Mixture

Instructions

Tips

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Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

Better Than Store-Bought Addicting Granola

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Ingredients

Syrup

Oat Mixture

Instructions

Tips

Popular Recipe Book

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