Have you ever made your own granola? No? Well, you should. It’s super easy and delicious… and I have a suspicion that it’s waaay cheaper than buying it at $5.o0 per little bag!
This weekend was the local Parade of Homes, so my husband and I eagerly traipsed all over the valley gawking at all these gorgeous houses. Of course, these homes are all huge, built with all the latest trends, and have been furnished by designers so they all look unreasonably perfect. Now, while they were all very beautiful, I can’t honestly imagine ever living in any of them…. They are just too grand for my tastes, too fancy to be comfortable, and too large to be cozy. In fact, my favorite house of all, and the only one I could see myself living in, was the little 800 square foot apartment atop the garage of one of the homes!
So, what does that have to do with granola? Well, nothing really… except that granola is like that little apartment – it’s anything but grand or fancy. Rather, it is simple, wholesome, homey, and comforting, without any pretense of grandeur.
Admittedly, I like granola in almost any form, but this granola… well, it’s just a little bit special, and I’ve never had anything else like it. Most store bought granola is crunchy and dry. Not this stuff. It’s a little bit chewy, and because it’s softer than your typical granola, it has loads more wholesome flavor from the honey, molasses, cinnamon and vanilla. And, it will fill your house with the most delicious aroma as it bakes.
This granola is great to have on hand for company visiting. It makes a very large batch so you will have plenty to go around. As already noted, it makes your house smell awesome. And you can fancy things up… just a little… by using this granola to make these pretty breakfast parfaits for your guests in a matter of minutes. This is my absolute favorite way to eat granola. It’s just so good. And healthy. And… yum!
Look at all that grain-y goodness! I feel a little healthier just looking at it! Don’t you?
- 10 cups whole rolled oats
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 8 oz shredded coconut
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup flaxseed
- 3 cups slivered almonds
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup molasses
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tsp vanilla
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Combine all the grains, seeds and nuts in a very large bowl.
- In a large saucepan, mix the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly coated. Spread granola into four 13x9 inch pans.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir and bake for 10 more minutes. Pour granola onto sheets of foil to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
- For the Parfaits - Alternate layers of vanilla yogurt, granola, and berries of your choice in a glass.
You can bake the granola for up to 15 extra minutes if you prefer a crunchier texture.
I highly recommend Stoneyfield Farms Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt for the parfaits. It is the best ever!
Recipe from my Mom! 🙂
Just made a batch of this granola to have over Christmas…Yum!
Oh, Yeah! I can’t wait!
I’m so glad to have this recipe! The taste I had at Christmas was sooo very delicious. I can’t wait to make some. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thanks Laura!