Granola

Posted on June 24, 2011 / 13 comments » / Breakfast, Sweet

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day.  I wish life was such that I could enjoy freshly made quiches, pancakes, waffles and biscuit egg sandwiches every morning.    And not to mention mimosas.  Nothing like throwing a few bubbles in the mix to make even the most ordinary meals a little fancy.

Since life, or namely work, gets in the way, I normally save the champagne breakfasts for the weekend.  But that doesn’t mean that weekdays have to be boring.  Oh no sir.  Bring in the homemade granola.

Now it’s way easy to grab a bag of your favorite store-bought granola and call it a day.  However, I challenge you to make this one and not fall in love with how easy it is to make and how great it tastes.  Making homemade granola is one of those things people are very impressed by.  But sorry – secret’s out – that’s because they don’t know how easy it is to make.  And the best part about it is that you can easily customize it to whatever you like or have on hand.  Don’t like nuts – leave them out.  Love coconut – go crazy.  Don’t have honey but have agave nectar (which happened to me) – go for it.  The possibilities are endless.  And the result – super delicious.

So take a little time this weekend, whip up this recipe and add a little flair to your breakfasts next week.

Granola

Adapted From: Flour
Yield: About 10 Cups

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant/quick cooking)
1 1/4 cups wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon and salt and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, agave nectar and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Pour the mixture on to your prepared baking sheet and spread in a even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the granola with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula several times during baking to ensure even browning. Let cool completely and then even distribute the cranberries.

The granola can stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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13 Responses to “Granola”

  1. 1

    Rosa — June 24, 2011 @ 11:22 am

    I’m a big fan of homemade granola and I must say that yours looks mighty delicious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  2. 2

    Jessica of My Baking Heart — June 24, 2011 @ 12:01 pm

    Yum, yum! It’s been so long since I made a batch… maybe this weekend! :)

  3. 3

    Renee — June 24, 2011 @ 1:38 pm

    Looks devine! Such talent.

  4. 4

    Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic — June 24, 2011 @ 2:21 pm

    I recently started making my own granola too and have not turned back since. Now I’m all homemade granola, all the way! I love how easy it actually is and the customizable options :)

  5. 5

    Baking is my Zen — June 25, 2011 @ 9:42 am

    Made my first batch of granola about two years ago…so easy and so good. Beautiful shot.

  6. 6

    Katrina — June 25, 2011 @ 5:05 pm

    Mmm, my favorite meal of the day, too. I eat granola with yogurt everyday! I like that yours is make with agave.

  7. 7

    food librarian — June 25, 2011 @ 7:09 pm

    I love breakfast too!! This granola looks delicious!!!

  8. 8

    Katie — June 25, 2011 @ 10:08 pm

    This granola looks beautiful. I love the idea of using vanilla in the granola!

  9. 9

    CookiePie — June 27, 2011 @ 8:50 am

    Looooove homemade granola! I don’t really like the store-bought stuff, but if it’s homemade, pass me a bowl! And yours looks particularly scrumptious :)

  10. 10

    William Casper — June 27, 2011 @ 9:25 am

    That is a delicious looking Granola. It’s actually making me feel guilty as I eat this jelly doughnut with my morning coffee.

  11. 11

    Lori — June 27, 2011 @ 8:37 pm

    I haven’t made granola in a while. I need to put together a big batch to eat with yogurt this summer. Love your version!

  12. 12

    Patrice — July 7, 2011 @ 9:07 pm

    I keep running to the store buying that Bear Naked banana granola but after seeing this post…guess who will be making their own from now on? Looks wonderful!

  13. 13

    Christina @ This Woman Cooks! — July 19, 2011 @ 10:36 am

    Delish! I love making my own granola.

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