I tried making granola for the first time the other night, thanks to Caro over at DIYnamite
The recipe she provided is a great place to start, and the comments over there had a few questions as to the “whys” of particular bits of that recipe. So here we go on the Fascination version:
2 cups old-fashioned oats (not the quick oats - this is because “quick oats” have been parcooked, and will absorb the oil in your recipe much more quickly - leading to squishy, slightly oily granola instead of crunchy goodness. If you only have quick oats, half the oil and replace with water.)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (the choice between light or dark here is a taste preference - dark has a “deeper” more “molasseses-y” flavor, while the light is a cleaner flavor. Either one works.)
1/4 teaspoon salt (eliminate this if you’re trying to cut out salt. In this recipe, it simply works as a flavor enhancer.)
1-2 cups total of… well, whatever. Some of my favorites include chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, raisins, craisins… really any nut, wheat germ, or dried fruit. Some more structurally sound fresh fruits, such as apple chunks, also work very well; a good rule of thumb is that if it squishes easily, use the dried version. Not sure what you want to try? Look at a box in the grocery store and give it a shot.
3 Tablespoons oil (this will coat the ingredients and prevent burning in the oven)
1 Tablespoon water (this is to cut the oil and help separate the ingredients so you don’t end up with one clump)
1-3 Tablespoons additional flavor…try a small amount of vanilla, or honey, or even fruit juice.
Heat the oven to 275 and line a cookie sheet or pan with foil.
Combine the dry ingredients (minus any dried fruit) in a large bowl. Simmer the liquid ingredients together, whisking to combine. Pour the warm liquids over the dry ingredients and stir to combine. (You want the liquids to be hot so they will soak into the oats and start cooking - if they were cold, they would “sit” on top of the oats rather than soaking in and would be a half-burnt mess out of the oven.)
Spread over the foil-covered pan and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, stirring once. Add any dried fruit and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool, and store in a sealed container. Enjoy!
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