Homemade Granola

Originally written: Saturday, April 5, 2008

About Time for a Recipe!

This recipe is made weekly in our home. I was first introduced to this amazing recipe by my friend Melanie when we went home to Arizona for Christmas. She brought it over one night as our Christmas present instead of "pure sugar". We had it the next morning and was declared as a "hit"!

I double this and it makes 10 cups (I think) and it last us, 2 adults, about a week; longer if we are lucky. I store it in a Ziploc. I haven't found a container yet that I like. (Ya I know, talk about picky.) The grand thing about this is a good portion can come from your FOOD STORAGE!!!

Chewy Homemade Granola
3 cups oats
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (we always do sliced almonds, but whatever you fancy)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes*
1/2 cup wheat germ or oat bran (I buy mine at a bulk foods hole-in-the-wall place)
1/2 cup brown sugar (less if you want to cut sugar)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey

Combine all ingredients, except oil and honey, in a large bowl and mix well. Combine oil and honey in a Pyrex and mix as well as you can. Then coat oat mixture. It will not really clump a lot at this stage.

Lightly, more in the corners, spray a large cookie sheet with sides. (Mine is 14x10) Then bake the granola at 325 for 8 - 12 minutes. Then remove from the oven, stir granola and return to the oven for another 8 - 12 minutes. (It clumps better when I stir frequently while baking.) My oven is possessed, so I only bake mine for about 8 minutes and it results in very chewy and soft granola. Of course, if you like yours crunchy and more nutty, bake it for longer.

Let cool and I like to add about 1/2 cup of Crasins.

For a lower calorie version you can subsitute all the oil for applesauce. It will not clump as well, but otherwise the taste is the same.

*Make sure the coconut you buy is not the kind covered in sugar.