Homemade Granola

[Marmish]

I have been making this for my clients for about 25 years...it's the best granola I've ever tasted...

Millie's Famous Granola

6 cups gluten free oats

2 cups shredded coconut

2 cups sliced almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup raw butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup honey

3/4 cup warm water

1 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 225 degrees

Mix ingredients well, place in 2 shallow baking pans and press down to form one large "cake".

Bake for about 5 hours very slowly...then when it is feeling crisp on top and starting to brown..break it up into bigs chucnks and let it bake a few more hours. When it cols, it is very crispy and chewy. Keep in an air-tight container.

Welcome to eG Mangogirl. One thing I never seem to get with my granolas are those large chunks. I'll try yours.

[nakji]

One thing I never seem to get with my granolas are those large chunks. I'll try yours.

You too? I thought it was just the recipe I was using. My granola tastes great, but I'm not getting any big chunks, and I figured it had to be a binding or liquid problem. Is raw butter just what it sounds like...butter?

[Marmish]

One thing I never seem to get with my granolas are those large chunks. I'll try yours.

You too? I thought it was just the recipe I was using. My granola tastes great, but I'm not getting any big chunks, and I figured it had to be a binding or liquid problem. Is raw butter just what it sounds like...butter?

The more sugar, the more it seems to stick together. Mashing it together and letting it cool before touching it seems to help. I get small chunks if I am careful, but I never get larger ones like in commercial or bakery granolas. I mostly eat it on yogurt, so it isn't a big deal, but I'd like to know I can if I want to. I've never used a recipe that included any kind of flour or water, so mangogirl's is interesting to me.

[LizD518]

I just made a batch of homemade granola a few days ago based on thisrecipe. I won't even bother to tell you all the ways I adjusted it to suit what I had on hand and my tastes, but the basic proportions were there, as well as the use of olive oil. Anyway, I have a bunch of vanilla beans on hand and since I am not baking very much, and I already have vanilla extract going, I was thinking of using one in my next batch of granola. Has anyone done this? Did you just scrape out the bean and mix the seeds in when adding the wet ingredients? I think a vanilla-almond granola is calling my name...

[rebecca]

Yeah, I don't think I have used a recipe since the first time I made granola, although maybe it would be worth a try to get other textures, etc.

What I do is: mix honey and herbs and/or spices in a bowl, add oats (or whatever) and mix. Keep adding oats until it is the right consistency (everything is coated with honey, but not too thick). Bake it in a 350 oven, on a baking sheet WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, and every 15 minutes or so, take it out and stir it so it doesn't turn into one large clump of granola. How much you mix it determines the size of clumps you will have. Bake until it looks toasty the smell is intoxicating, maybe 30-45 mins, then take it out to cool. Continue to stir so it won't stick to itself and the parchment. Add nuts and dried fruits at the end so they don't overcook or dry out too much. (I toast the nuts separately.)

One of my favorite combinations is a sweet-salty-spicy mix. Add a little brown sugar, salt, cayenne and cinnamon to taste (you should feel the heat!) and then add dried apricots, cranberries and chopped almonds at the end. I love the spicy granola with cool yogurt! But really, you can put anything in this...

[technophile50]

I just read this whole thread and noticed that this question hadn't been answered -

But I've noticed a lot of other recipes on-line require wheat germ or milk powder - what do these ingredients add to the end product? Are they binding agents, or do they add flavour?

They are an excellent way to add protein, as well as vitamins and minerals.

[Smithy]

I've been experimenting with making granola at home. I've written about my efforts elsewhere, but today I thought to look for a dedicated topic. Here it is! Time to give it a bump.

 

I tried a New York Times recipe for Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios, thanks to a suggestion from @heidih, that uses olive oil rather than butter as the fat. I was surprised at how the rather strong olive oil aroma and taste mellowed during the baking process. Aside from that I was also surprised at how serious a mistake it is to add the dried fruit BEFORE baking. At the begining of this very old topic, @helenjp refers to not wanting nut-and-bolt type objects in that cereal. I think I know what she meant.

 

 

Last year was my very first attempt at making granola, based on my best friend's recipe: 1 cup of oats, 1 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp safflower oil, some sunflower seeds. Bake at 350F for 8 - 10 minutes. Add toasted nuts afterward if desired. Very different than the NYT recipe above, except for the use of oil instead of butter. How had I forgotten that her recipe also uses oil? My mind, how I miss it.

 

It seems everyone has a favorite granola recipe, and the recipes and methods all seem pretty forgiving. That is, they're forgiving if you don't accidentally include chunks of pecan shell as I did last year, or add the dried fruit before cooking as I did this year. @kayb added her standard recipe here, but may be willing to post it again. 

 

What are your preferences for granola? Super- or barely-sweet? With or without coconut? Large clumps or small? Got any troubleshooting tips or major failure stories? (@Kim Shook got help for making non-clumpy granola more clumpy here: How can I fix my granola to make it clumpier?)

 

Feel free to post your favorite recipes here, or better still in RecipeGullet.

[shain]

Here's my go-to, tough I haven't made any in a long while:

 

325 g rolled oats
180 g milk
20-30 g butter
3 egg whites
70 g dark brown sugar
30 g poppy seeds
50 g toasted slivered almonds (or chopped), or sometimes hazelnuts
40 g toasted pecans
30 g shaved coconut
1/4-1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cacao
1/4 anise seed, ground
80 g mixed dried fruits usually some of the followings: high quality soft raisin, apricots, plums, dates, candied coconut, figs - chopped as needed

 

Mix oats, milk and butter. Microwave and stir well, MW further until milk is soaked.

Flatten on sheet tray and bake at 180 dC until well toasted.

Chill a little and mix in everything but the dried fruits. Mix well!

Fatten on sheet tray and bake further at 160 dC until dried and set. Roughly 25 minutes.

Chill completely.

Break into chunks.

Mix with raisins.

Serve with low-acidity yogurt, or as I sometimes do, with thin, lightly sweetened milk pudding.

[Smithy]

Poppy seeds! That sounds like a nice addition.

[Nyleve Baar]

Absolutely the best. I've been making this Maple and Olive Oil Granola for a couple of years - easy, delicious. I have to keep a jar filled with it at all times or there is hell to pay.

 

https://food52.com/recipes/15831-nekisia-davis-olive-oil-maple-granola

[AAQuesada]

I really like this one originally from Chef Travis Lett & restaurant Gjelina in los angeles Venice Beach. Really excellent 

 

Makes 16 cups

4 C rolled oats

4 C rye flakes

3/4 C black sesame seeds

1 1/2 C natural almonds

1 1/2 C pumpkin seeds

1 3/4 C sunflower seeds

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 t cinnamon

1 t salt

2 1/2 C maple syrup

1 C grapeseed oil

3/4 C brown sugar

1 

Heat the oven to 350°F.

2 

Mix together the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oats, rye flakes, almonds, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside.

3 

Combine oil, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4 

Pour the syrup mixture over the seed-and-oat mixture, and mix until everything is well coated. Spread out on 3 parchment-paper-lined sheet trays.

5 

Bake for 20 minutes, stir, and bake for another 10 minutes. Stir again, and bake until browned and dry, 15–20 minutes. Stir the granola again just after it comes out of the oven, then let cool.

 

 

[Kim Shook]

Coconut Sour Cherry Granola and Orange Granola.

[BeeZee]

Granola with quinoa for more protein. Pumpkin seeds, mixed nuts, added diced dried apple when finished.

 

[heidih]

5 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

Granola with quinoa for more protein. Pumpkin seeds, mixed nuts, added diced dried apple when finished.

 

How did you treat the quinoa before the bake?

[BeeZee]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

How did you treat the quinoa before the bake?

Just rinsed and drained well. It gets mixed in raw and as the granola cooks, the bitter taste dissipates.

[Smithy]

I confess: I was so overwhelmed with the various choices that I just decided to wing it, based on loose principles of solids to liquids ratios and what I actually had on hand. I ended up with too much goo and not enough solids, thereby needing more oats and nuts in an attempt to balance it all out. It came out looking and tasting all right but despite quite a lot of cooking it's still a bit softer than my husband would like. One thing I did right: put the cranberries in after the cooking was almost done, so they didn't turn into rocks!

 

I'll be going to a grocery store in the next couple of days, so I'll be able to stock up on the right ingredients.

 

 

 

[weinoo]

Has anyone ever had the granola from Emperor Norton? A friend and I really like it, and we're trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it, but it's difficult because we can't find any here. It's served at a few cafes in Paris.

[Katie Meadow]

38 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Has anyone ever had the granola from Emperor Norton? A friend and I really like it, and we're trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it, but it's difficult because we can't find any here. It's served at a few cafes in Paris.

Maybe contact David Lebovitz? He probably knows someone who knows someone who knows the recipe. Or if he himself eats the stuff he could probably come close to naming the ingredients and even ratios. 

[Smithy]

There are so many delicious-sounding granola recipes that I've ended up cobbling together and refining one that's dead simple and delicious (to our tastes). Yesterday was my best effort so far.

• 2c rolled oats
• 2T olive oil
• 2T honey
• ~1/8 to 1/4c unsweetened coconut (I happen to have shredded on hand, but flaked also works)

Mix together. Spread on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and bake for around 15 minutes at around 325. (350F may be closer to what my oven is doing. Incidentally, it is not a convection oven.)

 

At the 15 minute mark, stir in 

• 1/4 - 1/2c chopped pistachios
• 1/4 - 1/2c chopped walnuts

Bake another 5 - 10 minutes, until the oats are just beginning to brown. They'll keep toasting after they come out of the oven, so don't wait until they're already golden.

 

When the mix comes out of the oven, stir in

• ~2T chia seeds
• ~1/4c roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
• ~1/2c chopped dried fruit (raisins this time, but it could be dried cranberries)

When it's all cool, pop into an airtight container. I've very happy with the nutty crunch of this batch.

 

[heidih]

35 minutes ago, Smithy said:

There are so many delicious-sounding granola recipes that I've ended up cobbling together and refining one that's dead simple and delicious (to our tastes). Yesterday was my best effort so far.

• 2c rolled oats
• 2T olive oil
• 2T honey
• ~1/8 to 1/4c unsweetened coconut (I happen to have shredded on hand, but flaked also works)

Mix together. Spread on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and bake for around 15 minutes at around 325. (350F may be closer to what my oven is doing. Incidentally, it is not a convection oven.)

 

At the 15 minute mark, stir in 

• 1/4 - 1/2c chopped pistachios
• 1/4 - 1/2c chopped walnuts

Bake another 5 - 10 minutes, until the oats are just beginning to brown. They'll keep toasting after they come out of the oven, so don't wait until they're already golden.

 

When the mix comes out of the oven, stir in

• ~2T chia seeds
• ~1/4c roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
• ~1/2c chopped dried fruit (raisins this time, but it could be dried cranberries)

When it's all cool, pop into an airtight container. I've very happy with the nutty crunch of this batch.

 

Sounds like a nice mix. What do the chia seeds add?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

What does the olive oil add?

 

I was half afraid you were going to specify dried anchovies.  My dentation does not do coconut.  What else do you think might work?  I have a case of Bob's Red Mill farro and several pounds of red walnuts I'd love to use up.  For the oil, what about coconut or walnut oil?

 

Or I could just buy a box of Familia.

 

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

Sounds like a nice mix. What do the chia seeds add?

 

In truth, I'm not sure they add anything except a nice visual contrast.  I bought them for another purpose, and my best friend's son used some in his granola. I decided to try it too. At least it will help me use up the seeds!

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

What does the olive oil add?

 

I was half afraid you were going to specify dried anchovies.  My dentation does not do coconut.  What else do you think might work?  I have a case of Bob's Red Mill farro and several pounds of red walnuts I'd love to use up.  For the oil, what about coconut or walnut oil?

 

Or I could just buy a box of Familia.

 

 

The granola needs oil to coat the oats and help with the toasting / baking. I used olive oil because of a New York Times recipe that @heidih called out (this one). My best friend uses safflower oil. I don't know that the oil type is important except for its health benefits (omega-3 fatty acids content, for instance). At the baking temperatures I used, I don't think either of the oils you mentioned would come close to the smoke point, so you should use them and see how you like the flavors.

 

If coconut is contraindicated, I'd just leave it out. I'm not a big fan of coconut in general. Recipe recommendations both here and elsewhere on the 'net convinced me to try it in granola. Through experimentation I've learned that a little toasted coconut gives a distinctive sweet/toasty flavor that I like, but it can easily be overpowering or overtoasted. The shredded coconut was something my friend's son bought and left at her house, and she wanted to get rid of it. I'll use it up, then finish the flaked coconut that I'd bought because I prefer that texture. Whether I'll buy more after that or simply omit it remains to be seen.

 

I can't begin to shed light on farro or red walnuts, sorry. I think any nuts can add a delightful crunch and flavor to the granola. I KNOW that anything starting to go rancid* can wreck the batch. If you like the flavors, add those to the mix and report back! 

 

*even oats. Ask me how I know.

[Katie Meadow]

How timely--we made granola this morning. As far as I know no two granola recipes will be alike. When it comes to oil, I prefer a neutral oil, either Sunflower or Grapeseed, both of which are always on hand.  I assume that everyone customizes their granola according to what they personally like. I hate raisins, so I use a mix of currants and chopped dried cherries. As mentioned above, the fruit gets mixed in after the granola comes out of the oven, so it dries out just a teeny bit from the residual heat as the granola cools. Some things I hate in granola besides raisins: dried blueberries or strawberries, cinnamon and maple syrup. Cinnamon is for toast and rice pudding. Maple is for pancakes. 

 

The only unusual addition in my granola is two tablespoons of  pomegranate molasses mixed into a combination of honey and Steens. It does affect the taste, but it is very subtle zing, and I'm sure no one would guess it was in there as part of the sweetener.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

How timely--we made granola this morning. As far as I know no two granola recipes will be alike. When it comes to oil, I prefer a neutral oil, either Sunflower or Grapeseed, both of which are always on hand.  I assume that everyone customizes their granola according to what they personally like. I hate raisins, so I use a mix of currants and chopped dried cherries. As mentioned above, the fruit gets mixed in after the granola comes out of the oven, so it dries out just a teeny bit from the residual heat as the granola cools. Some things I hate in granola besides raisins: dried blueberries or strawberries, cinnamon and maple syrup. Cinnamon is for toast and rice pudding. Maple is for pancakes. 

 

The only unusual addition in my granola is two tablespoons of  pomegranate molasses mixed into a combination of honey and Steens. It does affect the taste, but it is very subtle zing, and I'm sure no one would guess it was in there as part of the sweetener.

 

I had a granola dream last night.

 

Aren't what are typically sold as currants really just small raisins?  There is now a box of Familia in my Whole Foods shopping cart but I may yet try to make my own.