Granola Tested Recipe

Granola Recipe

Most of us start our day with a bowl of dry cereal. Let's face it, it is so convenient; just open the box and pour. But with the rising prices of commercial dry cereals it is good to have other alternatives. One excellent choice is to make your own Granola. This Granola recipe is especially nice as it has a deliciously sweet flavor, a crisp and crunchy texture, yet it is relatively low in fat.

Granola always starts with oats, in this case, old fashioned rolled oats. These are oats which are cleaned, toasted, and hulled to become what we call oat groats. If you are wondering what the difference between old-fashioned rolled oats and quick cooking, it is in their thickness. Old fashioned oats are thicker because to make quick-cooking rolled oats the oat groats are first cut into pieces before being steamed and flattened. Although they are usually interchangeable in recipes I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe as I prefer their thicker texture and better flavor.

Besides oats, a granola needs nuts and seeds. This recipes uses whole raw almonds and raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Of course, there are many other types of nuts and seeds to choose from, so go ahead and use your favorites. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed together, they are coated in a sweet mixture of applesauce, rice or golden syrup, honey, brown sugar, oil, salt and ground cinnamon. You can use either golden or rice syrup in this recipe. Golden Syrup has a clear golden color and is a liquid sweetener made from evaporated sugar cane juice. It has a rich and toasty flavor with the consistency of corn syrup. Lyle's is the most popular brand and can be found in many grocery stores. Rice Syrup, on the other hand, is a natural sweetener made from rice starch. It is tan colored and is rich and sweet flavored. It is often found in health food stores. If you cannot find golden or rice syrup, corn syrup can be used.


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Granola Recipe: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, two baking sheets.

In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, stir together the apple sauce, oil, honey, brown rice syrup (golden syrup), and brown sugar. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid. Divide the granola evenly between the two baking sheets and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally so the mixture browns evenly. (The browner the granola gets (without burning) the crunchier the granola will be.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. You will notice that the granola may still be sticky when it is removed from the oven but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Make sure to break up any large clumps of granola while the mixture is still warm. Once the granola has completely cooled, add the dried fruit(s), and store in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

Serve plain or with milk and fresh fruit.

Makes about 10 cups.

Adapted From:

Lawson, Nigella. 'Feast'. Hyperion. New York: 2004.

Granola Recipe:

4 1/2 cups (450 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup (150 grams) whole raw almonds

1 cup (90 grams) raw sunflower seeds

1 cup (90 grams) raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 tablespoon (5 grams) wheat germ (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (180 ml) apple sauce

2 tablespoons canola, corn, or sunflower oil

1/4 cup (60 ml) honey

1/3 cup (80 ml) brown rice syrup or golden syrup

3/4 cup (160 grams) light brown sugar

1 - 2 cups dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, figs, and/or raisins) (optional)