Homemade Granola

This year, I want to begin make items homemade instead of purchasing from the store. This way I'll control ingredients.  I think breakfast is a good place to start cooking from scratch.  I've decided to cut back on purchased cereal. Granola is a wonderful cold cereal treat. It can be made simply of just oatmeal, salt and brown sugar, but we love this granola. We eat it plain, with milk, or as a parfait with yogurt and berries.  This week I didn't have whole wheat flour or wheat germ, so I just left it out.  I didn't have almond extract, so I just doubled up on the vanilla extract. I don't like chocolate chips in my breakfast cereal, but I will add if I make granola bars.  I added sliced almonds and sunflower seeds, but no sesame seeds.  It's a very forgiving recipe.  Just add what you prefer, or what the budget will allow. 

GRANOLA
6 cups old fashioned oatmeal
½  cup wheat germ
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 ½  teaspoon salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar ( can use 1 ½ cups brown sugar and no honey)
1 cup honey (can use ¾ cup honey, ¼ cup maple syrup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 cups nuts/seeds, (optional) any combination (walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, pine nuts )
1 cup dried fruit, cut into small pieces (optional) (raisins, cranberries or blueberries)
1 cup chocolate chips or M&M’s

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together except for nut/seeds, and dried fruit. Put honey and oil in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for about 30 seconds until honey is easily pourable. Add vanilla and almond flavorings to the honey/oil combination, and pour over dry ingredients. Stir until combined. If you are using pecans, you can add them now. If you are using almonds, add them the last 15 minutes of cooking time, or they will burn. Stir every 15 minutes until golden brown. It could take as long as one hour. Cool granola on pans, stirring occasionally, to break up large pieces. When cool, stir in dried fruit, if desired. Store in a covered container. Granola can be sealed in canning jars for long term storage.


This is an alternative to the above granola.  The recipe it is based on originally called for peanut butter, but I'm allergic to it so I substituted almond butter.  I'm sure cashew butter would be nice also.

Almond Butter Granola

Mix &; heat in 4-cup glass jug for 4 minutes on HIGH:
2/3  c honey
1-1/3 c margarine
1 t vanilla extract
2/3 c almond butter
1/2 t salt
1 c water

Mix in large bowl:
4 c rolled oats
1 t cinnamon

1 1/2  cup raisins/cranberries

1 cup sliced almonds

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix quickly and well.
Put onto two small greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
Exchange cookie sheets in oven, cook 10 minutes.
Turn oven off and let granola dry for several hours.
Store in closed jar on kitchen counter and watch it disappear.