I am on a real granola *kick* these days – and today I made a batch of my own homemade stuff. Granola is not really low in calories or fats, but what it *is* good for is nutrients! My recipe calls for wheat germ, honey and dried fruits and nuts…all the good stuff, including the healthy fats.I love putting granola on my yogurt in the morning, along with some fresh fruit. It’s a great snack to take with you in your backpack, gym bag or purse, and will give you a little boost of nutrition on the run.
Catherine’s Fruit & Nut Granola
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine oatmeal, wheat germ and dried fruits and nuts. In a separate bowl mix together oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over oats mixture, and stir well. Spread onto a cookie sheet, and bake for about 30-40 minutes, stirring on occasion.
The granola will not be crunchy when it first comes out of the oven, but it will firm as it cools. You may wish to play with the combination of fruits and nuts to create your perfect granola. Sunflower, pumpkin, flax or other seeds as well as various dried fruits may be used as well. It stores well in a tightly sealed container for several weeks.
I keep trying to make my own granola, since I can’t have the store-bought stuff. But I keep accidentally including grains I can’t have, and there goes another batch into the garbage. *sigh*
What *can* you have Dawn? I might be able to help?
LOL that is the question, isnt it? Rice, corn, quinoia, buckwheat, amaranth, and (if I could find them) gluten-free oats. It’s the oats that were the problem with the last batch.. they were just organic, not GF.
I could just make “granola” with rice krispies and corn flakes, but I’d like to include some of the higher fiber grains too. A girl cannot live on flax alone.
Hmmm…I wonder if there is such a thing as gluten-free oats? If anyone knows, let *us* know…until then, no granola for you! (said in stern granola Nazi voice) 😀
They do exist, Bob’s Red Mill makes ’em -http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-rolled-oats.html. I just haven’t found them in Guelph yet. Although, I haven’t looked terribly hard 😉
I just posted a “Gluten-Free Granola Recipe” Let me know how it is if you make it Dawn!
I have been searching high and low for rolled oats but I have not been able to find some ANYWHERE! I’ve been wanting to make oatmeal cookies for quite a while now, and now I have yet another reason to find some RIGHT NOW–this great recipe. Where did you find your rolled oats?! I’ve been to about 3 different grocery store chains… no luck! =(