Granola

I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to use the produce that we put up. I mean if I am going to put all that work into preserving it, I might as well use it right? So I am always on the lookout for recipes that use what I have. Now that it is winter I don’t have any fresh produce so I spend even more thought on how I can use the canned or freeze dried stuff.

One of the things I discovered early on in my produce using career is granola made with applesauce. You can find my post on applesauce here. My kids love granola. And so do I. We eat it plain, or with milk or we put it on yogurt. And this recipe is so easy. It is such a staple for our breakfast menu that I have the recipe memorized. At least I thought I did. I got the recipe out to do this post and realized that I have been making changes without even noticing. Just a few minor things here and there, but I should probably update my recipe. Needless to say I will be giving you my most recent version.

When I decided to try making granola for the first time I starting reading all the recipes I could find online. And I must say there are a ton. But I couldn’t find one that I could make without running to the store for some ingredient. I know it’s crazy but I don’t actually have coconut oil or agave in my cupboard. I realize I my be in the minority there, at least in my peer group. Anyway, back to granola. I realized is that there is a lot of flexibility in granola. So I looked at all the other recipes and then made up my own.

You need the oats obviously, but most of the other ingredients can be swapped for what you have on hand. For example: if the recipe calls for pecans you can also use about any kind of nut you like. So if you love coconut oil and/or agave you can totally swap those in for the oil and sweetener. I actually use apple sauce in place of most of my oil, although I have found that we like it better with at least a tablespoon or so of actual oil, because it gives it a crunchier texture. But I have to use applesauce, that was kind of the point for me. 🙂

So here is the recipe:

• 5 cups rolled oats (I recommend the “old fashioned” style but I accidentally bought the “quick” kind once and they worked fine, just a little different texture)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or your favorite sweetener)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (I measure the nuts first then chop them)
• 3/4 c. applesauce (unsweetened, if you use sweetened you could probably cut back on your sweetener)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbs. oil (I usually use canola or vegetable oil)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dried fruit (optional) add after baking

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and pull out two cookie sheets.

Add all the dry ingredients (oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and nuts) in a large bowl.

Combine your wet ingredients (applesauce, vanilla, oil, and water) in a small bowl.

Once they are all mixed pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide between two cookie sheets and stick them in the oven.

Bake for 1 hour. Take them out and stir them every 15 minutes. This will break up the chunks and make sure it gets evenly baked. I also like to rotate shelves because my oven doesn’t heat evenly. If you like big chunks in your granola, you can do just a rough toss and try to leave big pieces together, or stir it less often.

I like to bake it until it changes color. I usually like it pretty dark. I almost burnt a batch once and realized that I quite liked it that way. But everyone is different. Some people like their granola soft. So just play around with it and see what you like.

The first time I made this I added some chopped dried apples to the mix before I baked it and they kind of burned before everything else was done. It wasn’t ruined, just a little on the bitter side. So I recommend waiting until after it cools to add your dried fruit. Think raisins, craisins or chopped dried apples and/or peaches. But you can really just use whatever you have/like. My kids don’t like the fruit so I don’t add it to the granola anymore. And if you have fresh fruit that is always preferred in my opinion.

I suggest storing your granola in an air tight container.

Also, keep in mind that while granola is good for you, it is also very high in calories. In other words, try to avoid the temptation to eat the whole batch when it comes out of the oven. It will definitely use up your calorie intake for the day. I say that because I love you.

I haven’t calculated how many calories are in a serving for this recipe but based on the granola that I have seen in stores a 1/2 cup has like 250 calories. So I try to use it more as a garnish than a main dish. I add a little to my bran flakes for extra crunch and flavor. Or I eat low fat yogurt with fresh fruit then sprinkle a little granola over the top. Sometimes I will eat it over applesauce. It has such a nice nutty flavor and the crunch just makes anything more fun. Plus, it will make your kitchen smell wonderful! Go try it and tell me what you think.