When I first moved out of my parent’s house I was buying granola every other week. I was in San Francisco at that time, and could easily tell you that I had tried every granola brand it was sold at Safeway, Whole Foods, and any other supermarket. Had bought a few from farmers market, but my schedule was not fixed, and it was not easy to find the same sellers often.
I remember one day talking with my brother over the phone about the different granolas, and he said: “have you ever made granola?” The question bounced in my head over and over again, granola? granola? homemade? How difficult would that be? What is granola made of? He told me it was going to be the easiest recipe I have ever done in my life, and the one I could change depending on my mood.
And so, I venture into the granola world. The first step was understanding the difference between rice syrup and honey. Later, what kind of nuts do I like, what do I feel like eating in the morning? Seeds? There are more seeds besides sesame?
The first time, I made it exactly as he told. It came out great! It was yummy, fresh, and with lots of flavors. I kept it, and every time I made it, I used just the ingredients that I had at home.
Few years laters my friend Francine, made granola and gave me a jar of granola as a present! It definitely had more flavor than the one my brother did. And for two years I used Francine’s recipe.
When I was in Buenos Aires, my friend Flor had the same problem that I had years ago. Supermarket granola! So she asked me to make her granola every week! In my attempts of keeping it fresh and different, I would make it with whatever I had at home; until one day Flor called me to ask what did I put on this granola… I have to confess that at first I was scared, then came the thought of: what if something does not taste good, took a deep breath and asked her why was she asking me.
She mentioned that it was delicious! It was the best granola I had yet made! So, I starting using that recipe as a base, change it a bit more, and it is the recipe that I use NOW!
Recipe
Makes: 500 Grams
Prep Time: 10 Mins
Cook Time: 40 Mins
Ingredients:
- 25 gr sunflower seeds
- 10 gr sesame seeds
- 15 gr flax seeds
- 15 gr chia seeds
- 270 gr rolled oats
- 110 gr pecans, crushed
- 35 gr coconut, shredded
- 40 gr almonds, crushed
- 65 gr cashews, crushed
- 45 gr brown sugar
- 110 gr brown rice syrup
- 45 gr coconut oil
- 45 gr orange juice
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extrat
- 20 gr cranberries
- 45 gr raisings
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 300 F, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a big bowl combine all the seeds and stir. Add the oats, pecans, coconut, almonds, cashews, and sugar. Mix everything. Pour the brown rice syrup, coconut oil, and orange juice. Sprinkle the spices. Mix everything until well combine, oats should be shiny.
- Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes (keep an eye for the top not to burn). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Add cranberries and raisins. Once it completely cools down spoon to jar or container.
** TIP: The granola will stay fresh up to 3 months. You can change, add or replace any of the nuts or seeds. This is a perfect holiday gift for teachers, co-workers, and friends.