The Perfect Every-Morning Breakfast Granola
It's not everyday you see someone strolling around outside eating from a bowl. And yet that was what my friend Adrienne was doing one morning as she walked her daughter to school. This I had to check out. Peeking into her bowl, I was a bit disappointed to find granola. Not to dis granola or anything, but I figured it had to be something distinct, unique, special. But Adrienne kept raving about how good it was - so good she couldn't wait till she got back home to eat it!
As it turns out, she was right and for many reasons. First, I love that this granola isn't overly sweet. As a comparison, it has about half as much sugar as the popular artisanal Early Bird granolas. I don't mind a sweeter granola as an occasional snack or treat, but for everyday, every-morning eating, I preferred something less candy-like.
The other reason I became a fan is the atypical, hands-off baking method. Many of the granola recipes I tried required me to stir and flip the granola during the baking process, sometimes several times! And annoyingly, I would always end up pushing some of the granola over the shallow pan lip. Call me lazy, but I always thought that was way too much work.
Instead, in this recipe, you bake the granola low and slow at 275°F for 90 minutes. No need to stir; just let it be. After that, turn off the oven and leave the granola in the oven overnight. The next morning, open the oven door and voila! Perfectly toasted and crisped granola awaits you.
And it doesn't have to be boring, because you can easily change it up with substitutions.
Tired of almonds? Use walnuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts or a mix of nuts, instead.
Want to add some variety to the rolled oats? Use some flaxseed, wheat germ, millet 0r bran flakes.
Before you store the finished granola in an air-tight container, add some dried fruit. My personal favorite is cranberry, but anything goes. Try apricots, cherries, blueberries, raisins, coconut flakes, even mangoes. Use kitchen shears to snip into bite size pieces if needed.
This is my forever granola. It might become yours as well!
Adrienne's Granola
Makes approximately 3 lbs of granola
Preheat oven to 275°F.
In a large microwaveable bowl, mix and melt:
1/4 cup honey (3 oz/85 g)
1/4 cup coconut oil (2 oz/60 g)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of salt
In a large bowl, combine:
2 cups slivered or sliced raw almonds (8 oz/230 g)
2 scant cups raw pumpkin seeds (pepita) (8 oz/230 g)
1 scant cup raw sunflower seeds (4 oz/115 g)
5 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (16 oz/450 g)
Bake at 275°F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven. Leave in oven overnight. Next morning, use the Silpat or parchment paper as a funnel to transfer granola to a large airtight container.
Mix in:
1 cup roasted shelled pistachios (4 oz/115 g)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (4 oz/115 g)
Store at room temperature for up to one month.
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