Ah, granola. It’s hard to go wrong with this marvelously crunchy, perfectly sweet, delectably nutty creation. Whether made into bars, covered with milk, or sprinkled on yogurt, I have always been such a fan that I thought it time to come up with my own recipe. One where I can forego the artificial sweeteners while simultaneously parting with the often hefty price tag. Granted the more ingredients you put in, the more expensive granola becomes, so adjust as your taste – and wallet – desire.

 

Up until this point these foodie ramblings have come under the heading of “In the kitchen with…” which led to making quiche with my Dad and donuts with my brother. This time it’s just me, but don’t worry, I’ll still be sure to share :) So come on over! It smells lovely.

 

The Basics:
Large Cookie Sheet (or two smaller ones will suffice)
Large Mixing Bowl
Small saucepan or pot

 

The Ingredients:
Dry:
4 cups rolled oats
½ cp flax seed
1 cp sliced almonds
1 cp raw pumpkin seeds
½ cp unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cp wheat berries
1 cp. dried fruit

 

Wet:
1/4 cp brown sugar
1/4 cp raw honey
1/4 cp maple syrup
2 Tbsp butter (or substitute with coconut oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract

 

So throw it all together and you’re done! Okay, well almost. We certainly don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, so go ahead and set your oven to 350°.

 

In the meantime, measure and mix all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl, minus the wheat berries. These are, of course, optional, but wheat berries pack an intense nutrition punch. As the unprocessed kernels of wheat, they not only carry generous amounts of fiber and protein, but are also rich in vitamins B1 + B3, and in the minerals magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and selenium. Yum!

 

Before adding your wheat berries into the granola mixture, they first need to be toasted. Simply heat up your ungreased, small skillet to a medium-high heat. Throw in about 2-3 tablespoons at a time and watch them pop, much like popcorn. Although keep an eye out! Wheat berries only need a few minutes until they stop jumping, which means they’re done, and you certainly don’t want burnt berries in your granola. Now that you’ve toasted your ½ cp. of wheat berries, go on and mix them in with your dry ingredients.

 

Setting that bowl aside, heat a small pan on low (or just reuse your wheat berry skillet) and add the butter until melted. Quickly add and stir in your brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. As soon as your ingredients are well mixed, remove from heat and slowly pour over your granola mix, stirring as you go so as to evenly coat your dry mixture.

 

{Oh a suggestion here: real maple syrup is the only way to go! It will change your taste dramatically if you instead opt for Aunt Jemima.}

Spread your mix evenly over the large cookie sheet and place in your 350° oven. After ten minutes, remove and mix with a fork. Put back in oven, this time for 15 minutes. Remove again and mix once more, along with any dried fruit you might like. (I personally will go for dehydrated strawberries.) Put back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Once the time is up, keep in mind that your granola won’t be too crunchy at this point, so don’t keep popping it back in the oven or it will burn! Instead, simply wait for it to cool and I promise, the crunch will come.

There you have it. Homemade granola, paired with an amazing smelling house. Although a note in advance… it won’t last very long.

 

The Copy-&-Paste Friendly View:

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
½ cp flax seed
1 cp sliced almonds
1 cp raw pumpkin seeds
½ cp unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cp wheat berries
1 cp. dried fruit
1/4 cp brown sugar
1/4 cp raw honey
1/4 cp maple syrup
2 Tbsp butter (or substitute with coconut oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°
2. Mix together rolled outs, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, throw in 2-3 tablespoons at a time of wheat berries over medium-high heat. Remove once the berries are no longer popping. Add pre-toasted wheat berries to dry granola mixture.
4. Place a small pan over low heat and melt butter. Once melted, quickly add brown sugar, raw honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and stir until all ingredients are well blended.
5. Remove from heat and pour slowly over granola mixture, stirring as you go to maintain an even coating.
6. Spread evenly over cookie sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and mix with fork. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven once more and mix with fork, adding in any dried fruit. Place back in oven for a final 5 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool.
10. Seal in an airtight container. Best kept for up to two weeks.