by Lexie
My favorite thing about homemade granola is how customizable it is. Most recipes start with rolled oats and then you can add whatever you like: nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, figs, coconut, chocolate chips… There’s really no wrong way to do it, so have fun!
Maple syrup gives the granola most of its flavor; the honey acts as more of a binding agent. The granola is wonderfully crunchy and is great in yogurt, or just plain, by the handful!
Lexie’s Homemade Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups roughly chopped pecans
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup butter, melted
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 TBSP. honey
½ tsp. salt
* If you want to add mix-ins like chocolate chips or any of the other things I mentioned above, just sprinkle ½ cup of whatever you’d like on top of the cooled granola and mix it in.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Mix ingredients in a large bowl and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 90 minutes or until the granola is lightly golden. Break apart the clumps and let the granola sit until dry and crunchy. (By the way, this will make your house smell positively heavenly while it’s baking. Trust me.) You can store granola in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several months. Not that this would ever last that long around here!
Great–we are going to try this! Ruby made granola at preschool and I asked her what ingredients they used. She said, “sunflower seeds, oatmeal, and little squishy things that are kind of orange” (must have been dried apricots) Thanks for sharing, Lexie!
Ooo…It never occurred to me to mix in figs. That sounds tasty!
Lexie….it sounds wonderful, as do the banana muffins. I think I have some over-ripe bananas in the freezer.
What fun to read your recipes and your writing. Thank you for sharing.