Granola is a food that is considered to be healthy by some and not so healthy by others. It is made with whole grains, nuts and fruit but can be loaded with fat and artificial sugar. I personally love granola. I am especially fond of the homemade kind you can find at a good bakery or cafe. My most recent discovery was at The Bakers Table in Lancaster, PA. Awesome little bakery, amazing homemade granola. I have the attitude that moderation is key when it comes to granola and I enjoy it in small quantities. My sister, Leigh Ann, shared her recipe for homemade granola with me a few years ago. It's one of the healthier versions I have found that still tastes really good. It's made with molasses which gives it a great flavor and it's light and crunchy making it a perfect topping for fruit or yogurt.
These are the main ingredients that make up the batch of granola I made for this post. What's great about granola, is that you can customize it with ingredients that you prefer. Feel free to use your favorite grains and nuts. This recipe calls for pumpkin seeds. I did not add them this time (because I forgot to!).
This recipe makes about 25 cups of granola, which is A LOT! You will need a very large bowl to mix all of the ingredients. I have a huge wooden bowl that I like to use. A roasting pan or baking trays would work too.
Toss all of your dry ingredients together.
The wet ingredients are blended over low heat before they are added to the granola.
The melted molasses mixture is added to the dry ingredients.
Toss all ingredients until well coated and place on baking sheets.
Bake at 325 degrees until granola is golden brown.
As I said earlier, this recipe makes a huge batch of granola so it's a fun thing to do with a buddy. My sister and I used to make it together and share it. She is now living on the West Coast so I either have to ship it to her or share it with my friends! Good thing it will stay fresh in an airtight container for a while!
Enjoy!
Leslie xo
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds (approximately 12 cups) oats
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup of your favorite nuts (almonds, pecans,walnuts)
- 2 cups Grapenuts cereal
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1 pound coconut
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- sprinkle of flax seed (ground or whole seed)
- assorted dried fruit (optional)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt first six ingredients in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Mix remaining dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour melted liquid over the dry ingredients and gently mix until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
- Spread mixture (in small batches) on baking sheets. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely.
- Dates or dried fruit can be added after the granola cools.
Photos by Leslie Reese
Small wooden bowl handmade by Michael Reese