Granola is so easy and fun to make at home and in any tiny space (with an oven) plus you have total control over your ingredients: fats, sweeteners, nuts etc …
Once you’ve weighed the ingredients, the only processes are to combine and bake!
As this is a very flexible recipe, you can use any selection of nuts and seeds available but try to stick to the dry/wet balance in order to achieve a superb clustery granola.
I use maple syrup and coconut oil and/or light olive oil, so this granola is totally vegan and so good.
Like me, you’ll have to stop yourself from picking out the clusters!
Portions: Fills a litre jar
Prep and Cook Time: About 1 hour
Cookware: A mixing bowl and parchment covered roasting tray (approx 35 x 25 cms)
Oven: 160C / Gas 3
- 200g porridge oats (I prefer porridge oats not Jumbo but any size are fine)
- 75g nuts – roughly halved (I love walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios, if available)
- 25g seeds (linseeds, pumpkin, sesame)
- 25g desiccated coconut
- 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100ml coconut oil and/or light olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 100ml maple syrup or honey
- 50g – 100g dried fruit – depending on how fruity you like it (I use a mixture of sultanas, cranberries, apricots, prunes and dates)
Method
In your mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, except the dried fruit, then pour in the oil, maple/honey and thoroughly mix until coated. Tip onto the lined tray and lightly press down with a palate knife or the back of a spoon until an even layer.
Pop into a preheated oven for 20 minutes (25 minutes if preferred crisper).
If your like crumblier granola, then halfway through baking time, mix it up, redistributing the browned edge pieces to the centre then gently press down again. I don’t always do this as I prefer one solid tray of clumpy granola.
After 20 minutes, check your granola is golden and remove from the oven. If you prefer it slightly crispier, bake for another 4 – 5 minutes.
Leave to completely cool if you like clustery granola, or break up to be crumbly.
Once cold, break up and store in a jar for as long as you can resist noshing it!
Enjoy!
