Easy Granola Recipe

Recently gluten-free and once a baker by profession, my mission is to adapt old favorite recipes to make this lifestyle change tastier!

The Benefits of Eating Granola

Granola is a great way to start your day. There is a convenience about just tipping some cereal out of a box, but most of us don't want to read the ingredients on the back of it. To make your own breakfast cereal and know exactly what it contains is rewarding and has definite health benefits. Granola contains slow release energy foods such as oats, bran and peanuts, so you won't be reaching for a sugary snack an hour after breakfast.

When our blood sugar levels drop, we want to eat something (and usually something sugary) NOW! and then we make bad food choices. So, starting your day well with a serving of granola will not only give you a healthy breakfast, but could also help you to keep making healthy choices throughout the day, or at least the morning!

My husband loves creamy pastas, shortbreads, lots of butter on his toast etc., yet his cholesterol is at a healthy level. I'm convinced it's because he not only eats all these things in moderation, but that also he begins his day with a bowl of his home made granola.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 6 cups / 540g oats
• 2/3 cup / 135g brown sugar
• 1 cup / 17g wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup / 240ml vegetable oil, less could be used if using a stand mixer, about 1/2 cup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup / 150ml honey
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup / 70g dried coconut
• 1 cup / 150g roast peanuts
• As desired mixed dried fruits

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F 120°C
2. Add all the dried ingredients into a large bowl and mix together. At this point you may want to add the peanuts and coconut.
3. Add all the wet ingredients together into a microwave-resistant jug, and warm slightly for about a minute. (Note: I have found that making the mix in a food mixer like a Kitchen-aid stand mixer that I have been able to reduce considerably the amount of oil added. 1/2 cup instead of a full cup.) Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix in well so that all the oats have been wetted.
4. Transfer to your mix to a baking tray and place in the oven. 5 mins before taking it from the oven add your dried fruits and mix in well.
5. After 10 mins give your granola a stir, check it every 5 mins. The granola is done when a light golden brown in color
6. CARE NEEDED: cooking times may vary depending on oven type.

Homemade healthy granola

Serving Sugestions

• You can make your granola even healthier by adding linseed in with your dry mix Or why not add chia seeds or your favourite grain to spice it up a bit.
• Add in the dried fruit of your choice, dried berries,mango,pear to make it a real tropical treat.
• Eats great with a home made yogurt or a thick greek style yogurt.
• To your thick plain yogurt add a little vanilla paste and mix together then pour on your granola.
• When you have fruit salad. pour yogurt over the fruit and then a sprinkling of your granola.

Oatey Facts

There are just so many reasons why we should eat oats for breakfast:

• Oats lower the bad kind of cholesterol. The good cholesterol gets left alone!
• They control blood pressure and may reduce high blood pressure.
• Oats have properties called 'beta glucans'. These boost our immune system defences.
• Help control weight because we are less likely to snack after an oaty breakfast.
• Oats can reduce the risk of some cancers.

Why wouldn't we eat oats for breakfast!

Did you know?

For each question, choose the best answer. The answer key is below.

1. Who invented the granola breakfast cereal?
   • Dr. John Kellog
   • Henry Cromwell
   • John Quaker
2. Oats are from the grass family, true or false.
   • False
   • True
3. Giving children oats from an early age can reduce the risk of getting asthma. True or False
   • True
   • False

Answer Key

1. Dr. John Kellog
2. True
3. True

Comments

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on March 06, 2013:

Thanks for your votes peggy W, best not to try your hubby out on the granola with coconut, throw in his favorite dried fruit to gain his favour. That's the great thing with this recipe you can change it to your own taste.

Appreciate you coming back to comment.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on March 06, 2013:

Will have to make your good sounding granola sometime but without the coconut. Not my hubby's favorite food but it will be easy enough to alter this healthful breakfast food by using other items. Gave this 5 stars and rated up and useful. Thanks for another well written and illustrated hub.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on February 20, 2013:

Thanks Jennifer for your comments, Granola bars are harder to get the texture right, i have made them a few times with success but you just have to get the taste and texture of commercial ones out of your head, you will never get them the same. The bars will be a future hub.

as for the granola, go head and make your own, this does taste better than commercial ones, and you know what you are eating.Hope it's to your liking.

Jennifer Essary from Idaho on February 19, 2013:

I've tried making granola bars but the texture never comes out right. I'd like them to be slightly moist or at least hold together when I take them out of the pan. Anyway, I bought some granola at the natural market the other day but I'm still not sure where the ingredients came from. Are they GMO etc? I really should just make my own so that it's not too sweet and I know exactly what is in it. Thank you for sharing your recipe and tips : )

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on February 12, 2013:

Granola is another adiction of mine but with this recipe you can basicaly do what you want with it. just use it as a base recipe and add what you love.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on February 12, 2013:

Denise i´m coming over for dinner, what a combination you have going on there.

i would love to know how aadding the chai seeds works out i have never thought of that combination but sounds great.

The sound of that pork sizzling in the oven....hmmmmm

Appreciate your vote and comments

Denise Handlon from North Carolina on February 10, 2013:

Perfect for what I was searching for-thanks. UP/U/sharing. I'm going to add my chia seeds to my batch. :) I guess this will keep me busy this today-granola in the morning, orange pistachio cookies in the afternoon, and my pork tenderloin in the evening.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on February 10, 2013:

Most interesting about granola sounds a lovely idea

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on January 23, 2013:

Thank you for taking the time to coment rutley, i just made a fresh batch last night.

You can´t beat it, i would never go back to stores granola. appreciate you sharing.

rutley from South Jersey on January 23, 2013:

Great recipe and thanks for putting it out there for all! Happy Cooking!

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on January 10, 2013:

sweetie1 it is true you never know what you will get in a box, that's why i prefer to make what i can from scratch. Thank you very much for comenting and voting up ;-)

sweetie1 from India on January 10, 2013:

I never had granola. Now they are available in big stores here but I am little worried about their manufacturing date. Rated 5 stars ..very nicely written hub. I would try to make it at home.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on December 01, 2012:

Thank you for looking in Audrey Baker, glad you liked the recipe & it is a great topper to a fruit salad with yogurt and a sprinkle of granola just to add a little crunch. Thanks for passing this recipe on.

Audrey Baker from Arizona on December 01, 2012:

I couldn't agree more, it is nice to know exactly what goes into our food. I have a friend that was recently looking for a granola recipe. I will pass this along.

This makes a nice yogurt topper.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 24, 2012:

Thank you JSParker for your visit and comments. I think home made granola is the best, so i'm not surprised your granola is a top reader. at the moment mine is as well, and it helped me win the Rising star last week.

i'm always open to trying new ideas even with granola because each one has a different taste. i will be taking a look at your recipe as well.

And happy roasting, you just saved some more money.

JSParker from Detroit, Michigan on November 24, 2012:

Congrats on a great hub. Adds a new twist to my granola lexicon (my hub on homemade granola is one of my top reader attractions) as I've never added peanuts before. However, we've gotten so used to not having any butter or oil in our granola, I think I'll keep that part as is, and save the oil in my diet for roasting vegetables.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 17, 2012:

thank you so much for your comments loneofnight, really appreciate your comments. it just so happens i am working on a yogurt hub now that is so easy to do. remember if you love the hub you are able to vote for the granola hub on Rising Star on food hubs until wednesday. enjoy your granola, and i will be trying your idea as a hot cereal.

Loveofnight Anderson from Baltimore, Maryland on November 17, 2012:

Not only do I love this recipe but I intend on making it. I love granola by itself or mixed with plain Greek yogurt. I even like to make a hot cereal out of it by adding hot milk/water to it. Thanks for such a great hub and keep hubbing.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 17, 2012:

Thank you for coming by to visit molometer, Granola especially home made has so many health benefits, at least you can control its contents. then go a step further and make your own yogurt.......you are set,

appreciate you tweeting it.

Micheal from United Kingdom on November 16, 2012:

This looks so healthy and appetizing, thanks for sharing. This rising star hub. Tweeted

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 16, 2012:

thank you for your visit The Dirt Farmer, it really is easy to make, you just add other ingredients if you want to. but simple is always best. everybody should try making it, at least once before saying it´s not worth it if you can just buy it in a box. enjoy!

Jill Spencer from United States on November 16, 2012:

I'm pinning this one. Often granola recipes have so many ingredients that I never get around to making them because of it, but this one seems simple enough to try. Thanks!

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 14, 2012:

thanks simone smith, looks good!!!! you ought to try it, so much better in the mouth than on a picture. it has been a favorite breakfast of mine for years and i never get tired of it. thanks for the visit.

Simone Haruko Smith from San Francisco on November 14, 2012:

This looks so good, lemonkerdz! What a gorgeous recipe.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 06, 2012:

Thanks for your comments and enjoy your very own granola. let me know how it turns out. Appreciate your visit Suzie HQ

Suzanne Ridgeway from Dublin, Ireland on November 06, 2012:

Hi lemonkerdz,

Wow, love this recipe have been meaning to make my own for ages, now I definitely will! Great easy to follow instructions, gorgeous ingredients and looks delicious! Would love a bowl now in fact! Looking forward to the home made yogurt as I adore Greek style plain yogurt.

Voted up, more and shared, pinned!

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on November 03, 2012:

Enjoy Indiejoe, this has been a breakfast favorite of mine for years and never get bored of it, just keep adjusting it to your personal taste and every batch will be a new experience.

IndieJoe on November 03, 2012:

Every good day starts with granola! Can't wait to try this recipe and we're looking forward to the homemade yogurt hub to go with it!!

Thanks for posting.

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on October 18, 2012:

i'm sure you will love the recipe. branded granola can be very expensive and making your own can cut costs and you know exactly what's in it.

Enjoy

nigelcolel on October 18, 2012:

Thank you so much for this lovely sounding recipe I can't wait to get started. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Vespa Woolf from Peru, South America on October 14, 2012:

I can't wait!

lemonkerdz (author) from LIMA, PERU on October 14, 2012:

Thanks so much vespawoolf for your comment! Enjoy the recipe. Soon there will be a great homemade yogurt hub that goes great with the granola.

Vespa Woolf from Peru, South America on October 13, 2012:

As a huge fan of your granola, I'm thrilled to have this recipe. I like the idea of adding linseed and wiping away all the bad (not good) cholesterol. Your photos are gorgeous. I've pinned and shared this. Thanks so much!