I love to have a snack of muesli or granola with yoghurt or milk at night. For the purposes of this post, let’s talk granola. It’s good in the morning of course, but at night - well, it’s simply great comfort food without the guilt. In principle anyway. The thing is, with store-bought granola you get ingredients you don't need and often don't want and the not-so-good stuff really cancels out the good stuff. I know what I like - a bit of crunch, but not too sweet and I want to know what’s in my granola. So, I like to make my own. I prefer more seeds than nuts and a good amount of dried fruit.
I have looked at a lot of recipes to see what other people found worked and gather any useful information - and I did get a few ideas. At Smitten Kitchen I got an idea I have yet to try - using pumpkin butter mixed in with the granola and also storage tips (freeze it!). I got the idea for adding molasses from Martha Stewart. I love molasses in my bran muffins, but they’re rich, so I just suggested a hint here. I also included a little water in my liquid ingredients. Go ahead and substitute apple or orange juice here if you like, but I suggest using unsweetened if you do.
Lastly, I’m a big fan of homemade apple sauce. By applesauce I mean just plain apples, simmered until soft and puréed. Here, they serve as added moisture and a natural sweetener. I’ve listed a few of my sweeteners as optional to give you the wiggle-room to make this even less sweet if you prefer. Tweak to personalize and have fun! Storage: airtight container (glass jars are ideal). It will keep well for several weeks. Alternatively, freeze in an airtight container. It will last for a few months (if you can make it last that long!).
Ingredients:
Dry:
- 4 cups (1000 ml) old-fashioned oats (not quick or instant)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) ground flax
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) wheat germ
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) sea salt
Dry (optional)
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut flakes (shredded, unsweetened coconut)
- 1 cup (250 ml) almond slivers
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sesame seeds
- 1 cup (250 ml) pumpkin seeds, not roasted (green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) of any kind of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dates, apricots). I like to chop some of this portion to disperse them further.
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped banana chips or your favourite nut or combination
Liquid:
Note: I consider most of these optional so play around with the amounts and which ones you use. I do something different almost every time I make my granola. I would recommend adding a little of one of the sweeteners and one or two of these that add a liquid element to the mixture. For instance, at least a little maple syrup, agave nectar or honey, a touch of oil and the vanilla. If you add the apple sauce you may find you want to bake it for longer to get it drier and crunchier.
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 to 375 ml) apple sauce (preferably homemade, sugar-free – just plain ‘ol apples), Optional.
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) or 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) or 1/8 cup agave nectar (if you have it and you can use this in place of the maple syrup and honey if you prefer). Optional.
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable, grapeseed or sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) blackstrap molasses (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange zest (optional)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
Method:
Preheat oven to 325° F (162° C/Gas Mark 3). Feel free to adjust this - baking for longer at a lower temperature. Ovens vary so please use my guidelines as just that and check your granola often. What takes 30 minutes to reach the desired crunchiness in my oven may take more or less in yours.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix all the dry ingredients together except for the dried fruit, coconut and almonds.
In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients, stirring well after each addition.
When all the dry ingredients are coated, spread out evenly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets using a rubber spatula. You may need to bake in batches depending on the size of your oven.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, removing the pans every 10 minutes to stir.
At about the 25 to 30 minute point, remove the pans from the oven and add the coconut and almonds. Place back in the oven and continue to cook until golden brown, checking every ten minutes.
Let it stand for 20 to 25 minutes to cool then add the dried fruit.
To serve: I'm sure you have a favourite way to eat your granola. I like mine best with a little plain yoghurt and a bit of fresh fruit. Mmmm!
Printer-friendly Recipe
I modified it as I didn't have any pistachios around and it was a last minute decision to add it to the menu that night. We also haven't officially tried pistachios on our two-year-old so I likely would have used almonds anyway. In the end she liked the dates and didn't try the almonds at all with this. 
