THE VERY BEST HOMEMADE GRANOLA RECIPE

Hi there! Homemade granola is one of my very favorite things to give as a gift from my kitchen.  It is quick and easy to make, simple to package and delicious to eat. Since I give my granola away frequently I know how universally liked the recipe is.  Everyone I give it to asks for the recipe.  So today I thought I’d give you the very best homemade granola recipe; mine!

This is a BIG BATCH recipe!  You need a big giant bowl to make it.  In fact, the bowl I make mine in measures 19″ wide by 6″ deep.

Whenever I make my homemade granola some of it gets given away.  For example:

I put bags of it in the welcome baskets I made for all of the out of town guests that attended my son’s wedding.

And I made bags of it for our local military troops that are stationed overseas.

What is leftover gets put in my big glass jar to be consumed quickly by the men in my life.

If you decide to try my recipe for The Very Best Homemade Granola you may wish to give some away too.  So, before I share the recipe I thought I’d share my resources for the gift stamps I use.  You can order a custom self-inking stamp like mine from a company called Expressionery.com.

I also have a very pretty stamp with my initial on it.  I got it from a company called MAEMAE Paperie.  You can order your very own Initial Stamp here.  I stamp my initial onto tags that get tied onto gifts with baker’s twine.  I purchase the baker’s twine here from an Etsy.com shop called Wrapworks.

So, lets get started making the granola.  If you don’t need such a large batch of granola you can certainly cut this large recipe in half or even in fourths.  First, get out the largest bowl you own.  To the bowl add the following:

• 2 Cups Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Mix well to incorporate the honey and dissolve any sugar lumps.

Next, add the following dry ingredients to the bowl on top of the sugar mixture:

• 80 oz. (5 Lbs) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not the quick cooking type)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Bran
• 1/2 Cup Flax Meal
• 1/4 Cup Toasted Flax Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds

Finally, toss in:

• 3 Cups Raw Pecans
• 3 Cups Raw Almonds

I add my nuts whole because I love a big bite of nut.  You may elect to give your nuts a rough chop first.

Now, using your hands mix it all up.  This is a messy job but in the end you get to lick your fingers!  Take your time to get all the oats thoroughly coated with the sugar mixture. When it is all mixed up it looks like this.

Next, line 3 large sheet pans with parchment paper and evenly distribute the granola mixture between the 3 pans.  Place the pans in the oven, preheated to 225ºF.  Bake for approximately 1-1/2 hours or until the oats are golden brown and the nuts are toasted.

Every 30 minutes or so toss the granola around in the pan so that the oats toast evenly on all sides.

Remove the pans from the oven and allow the granola to cool in the pans.  Then, return the granola to your original big-old-bowl.  It is at this point that you can add the dried fruit of your choice.  I often use the Mariani Island Fruit mixture sold at Costco.  It is a combination of dried pineapple, mango and papaya.  My boys also like me to add the dried cherries from Trader Joes.  I like dried apricots.  The point is you can add any type of dried fruit you fancy, and in any quantity you desire.  Two cups of dried fruit is usually sufficient.  I also add a 14 ounce package of coconut flakes but this is also optional.  Stir it all up and viola, you have just made the very best homemade granola recipe!

ENJOY!

NOTE:  This granola keeps well at room temperature for several weeks.  But, I promise you it won’t last that long! If you can’t find some of the more exotic ingredients like hemp seeds (sold at Costco) or Chia Seeds (sold at Trader Joe’s) it’s no problem if you leave them out. I also use the “Toasted Flax Seeds” from Trader Joe’s because they have a ton of flavor.

THE VERY BEST HOMEMADE GRANOLA RECIPE

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

This granola recipe is not only great tasting, it is good for you. And it makes a great gift from the kitchen!

Author: Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
• ½ Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• ½ Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 80 oz. (5 Lbs) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not the quick cooking type)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Cup Wheat Germ
• ½ Cup Wheat Bran
• ½ Cup Flax Meal
• ¼ Cup Toasted Flax Seeds
• ¼ Cup Hemp Seeds
• ¼ Cup Chia Seeds
• 3 Cups Raw Pecans
• 3 Cups Raw Almonds
• 14 ounces flaked coconut
• 2 cups dried fruit of your choice such as tropical fruits, cherries or apricots.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
2. In a very large mixing bowl combine the corn oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the dried fruit and coconut.
4. Mix with your hands until well incorporated.
5. Line 3 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
6. Evenly distribute the granola between the 3 pans.
7. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 1 and ½ hours until golden brown.
8. Mix every 30 minutes so that the granola browns evenly.
9. Cool in the pans. Return the cooled granola to the large mixing bowl.
10. Add the desired dried fruit and coconut. Mix to combine.
11. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for several weeks .

Notes

This granola keeps well at room temperature for several weeks. But, I promise you it won't last that long! The recipe can be cut in half you'd like to make a smaller batch. If you can't find some of the more exotic ingredients like hemp seeds (sold at Costco) or Chia Seeds (sold at Trader Joe's) it's no problem if you leave them out. I also used the "Toasted Flax Seeds" from Trader Joe's because they have a ton of flavor.

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So there you have it: THE VERY BEST HOMEMADE GRANOLA RECIPE