# Making my own granola



## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

After living on the west coast for a few years, I've finally done it... I now make my own granola. What makes the following recipe extra special is that it was handed down to me by a shoeless Oregon hippie at the bulk food bins. However for a Canadian flair, I substituted maple syrup as the sweetener. I used pure Quebec Grade A but I've heard that Grade B might be even better, because it's thicker. I use a small amount of syrup because I don't want too much sugar.

(Note that better clusters might form when more sugar is used)

Buy thick rolled oats in bulk

Preheat oven to 300 F
In a bowl, mix some vegetable oil & maple syrup
Add nuts if desired (e.g. almond slivers)
Add cinnamon & nutmeg

Gradually stir in the rolled oats. Keep mixing to fully cover them all.

Pour mixture onto parchment paper, on a baking tray
Bake for 20 minutes

After 10 minutes, stir it up a bit. But make sure oats are piled up a bit.

Once out of the oven, let it fully cool and do not touch or stir. This appears to be when they get crispy and clumpy.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Great way to save money. Granola can be expensive.

Try soaking cut up unsweetened dried fruit in hot water (apricots, apples, currants, raisins, blueberries, goji, etc.). Use the liquid as your sweetener and add the fruit to the mix. This way you can skip the sweeteners. A variety of nuts and seeds help to add some healthy fats and protein to the mix. TIP: add the fruit near the end of the cooking process - on very low heat. Prevents them from burning and helps to bring them back to their dehydrated state.


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

Careful with the nutmeg there James. It is a hallucinogen in large doses


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Good tip about the fruit, thanks. And I'll be careful with the nutmeg; I add just a dash.

Does anyone know how to make the granola more crunchy and clumpy? Is it about temperature?


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## Fedorici (Jun 5, 2019)

Good luck!


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Let us know when you nail down the reciepe, probably will give it a try though I'd likely want to substitute something else for the maple syrup.

On a side note, I've been making no-bake banana oatmeal bars. Super fast to make but you have to keep them in the fridge.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I think any amount of nutmeg that is palatable is also safe. You need to eat 3 teaspons of nutmeg for a toxic dose, which is an awful lot in any recipe.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Clumpy. You'll need a little more liquid goo. Then press or roll down on a baking sheet. It's like making a giant granola bar. Then break it up to the desired clumpiness.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Synergy said:


> Clumpy. You'll need a little more liquid goo. Then press or roll down on a baking sheet. It's like making a giant granola bar. Then break it up to the desired clumpiness.


Thanks. I'll try pressing or rolling on the baking sheet.


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## Retired Peasant (Apr 22, 2013)

cainvest said:


> though I'd likely want to substitute something else for the maple syrup.


brown sugar?


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

hash oil? (In keeping with the times)


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I'm not really of a mind that granola is healthy. I suppose homemade is better, as the commercial stuff is absolutely packed with sugar.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

andrewf said:


> I'm not really of a mind that granola is healthy. I suppose homemade is better, as the commercial stuff is absolutely packed with sugar.


I think it's healthy if the amount of sugar is kept low. Oats and nuts are healthy. This is why I'm making my own... I really don't put much syrup into it (and it's under my control).

For my next batch I'm going to try decreasing the sugar to the point that I can barely taste sweetness.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

james4beach said:


> Preheat oven to 300 F
> ...
> Bake for 20 minutes


Just FYI everyone, I increased this to: 350 F for 25 mins.

The last batch I made was downright addictive. I started sampling it from the tray and couldn't stop. I think toasting the almonds adds a magic flavour.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

An alternative to granola is trail mix. Mix together some nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and you're good to go.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Synergy said:


> Great way to save money. Granola can be expensive.
> 
> Try soaking cut up unsweetened dried fruit in hot water (apricots, apples, currants, raisins, blueberries, goji, etc.). Use the liquid as your sweetener and add the fruit to the mix. This way you can skip the sweeteners. A variety of nuts and seeds help to add some healthy fats and protein to the mix. TIP: add the fruit near the end of the cooking process - on very low heat. Prevents them from burning and helps to bring them back to their dehydrated state.



my takeaway: Synergy seems to be a real granola expert & the tip to add fruits late & on low heat to avoid burning is so valuable

but i'd be concerned about the re-hydration of those dried fruits. In their original dried state they probably included some/a lot of preservative, so they could endure without mold in packages & containers for a long time.

but once they get soaked in water, the enzymes & the microbes are activated again. New microbes can even settle out of thin air during the soaking process.

now we drain & add this soaked, plumped-up, microbe-hiding fruit to the granola mix, but only late in the baking process & only at low heat. Certainly not enough to thoroughly dry all the fruits out once again.

now we cool down our granola recipe & store it in containers. How are we controlling those microbe-y little fruits? previously sterile, they are now small damp colonies of bacteria, ready within a few days to spread onto the crispy clusters of grains & nuts ...

when i think about this i think i'd just keep my dried fruits to the side, then add them straight out of the package to the baked granola recipe


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

From what I understand, rolled oats are pretty healthy and high in fiber. Does anyone know if the process of baking them retains the health benefits? I understand that sugar is harmful, but I'm adding minimal sugar to mine.

Also, I had to modify my recipe slightly. The way I was making them before kept burning them slightly. It could be due to the different oven, or using olive oil instead of my previous vegetable oil.

Revised recipe, what I currently use:

Use thick rolled oats
Preheat oven to 300 F
In a bowl, mix oil & maple syrup or honey
Add nuts if desired, I use almond slivers
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of salt

Stir up the liquid, then gradually stir in the rolled oats
Lay them flat on parchment paper
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to stir up.
Bake for 10 more minutes, total 20 minutes at 300 F.

Let it cool fully, e.g. overnight. I eat them with milk, can add berries and fruits.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

james4beach said:


> From what I understand, rolled oats are pretty healthy and high in fiber. Does anyone know if the process of baking them retains the health benefits? I understand that sugar is harmful, but I'm adding minimal sugar to mine.


Baking is not as good as making porridge in terms of health benefits. The browning process can create acrylamide , a potential carcinogen. I personally wouldnt include homemade granola as a healthly meal, it's more of a healthier snack option (topping for yogurt, snack while hiking, etc).

Heating sugar and oil can cause other potentially harmful compounds. Peanut oil is a little more stable than olive and could be used as an alternative. Decent flavour if you like peanuts. Keeping the heat really low, avoid browning, etc would help.

It all comes down to moderation. Just about anything at the right dose can be harmful. 
Too many nuts and seeds, too much fiber, etc. Think nutrient deficiency, phytic acids, etc.

To be honest I'm not sure if baking alters the benefit of the soluble fiber in oats or not. My hunch is that boiling oats in water would improve the ability of soluble fiber to do it's good deed (lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, improve digestion / elimination, etc).

You only get to live so long anyway and we all must die one day! Enjoy a little bit in moderation while you can.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Very interesting. I might try lowering the baking temperature a bit further.

I'm just trying to find a breakfast food I enjoy. I already eat fruits and nuts, but sometimes want something with carbs (especially with these -20 temperatues lately). I like cereals such as corn flakes and rice crispies, both of which are low in sugar.

Which would you guess is healthier: corn flakes / rice crispies store bought cereals, or the granola made from baked oats? Both would be low in sugar and supplemented with fruits/nuts.

I would alternate in any case but curious if you think one is notably healthier than the other.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

james4beach said:


> I'm just trying to find a breakfast food I enjoy. I already eat fruits and nuts, but sometimes want something with carbs (especially with these -20 temperatues lately). I like cereals such as corn flakes and rice crispies, both of which are low in sugar.


I'm on a steel cut oats kick during the winter.

1/3 cup oats + less than 1 cup water + small pinch salt in the instant pot before shower and porridge is ready when I am. I mix in a scoop of chia seeds and top with whatever nuts/fruit/berries/syrup I feel like that day. The instant pot gave me the idea but you can also soak steel cut oats overnight. Good steel cut oats are harder to find than instant but they texture is far better

In the summer it's usually store bought granola on yogurt. I'll have to try making my own granola now


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

james4beach said:


> Which would you guess is healthier: corn flakes / rice crispies store bought cereals, or the granola made from baked oats? Both would be low in sugar and supplemented with fruits/nuts.
> 
> I would alternate in any case but curious if you think one is notably healthier than the other.


Homemade granola would be by far the healthier option. Very little nutritional value in the corn flakes or rice crisps, which are all very high on the glycemic index. If your hiking all day in the mountains and burning a ton of calories, then by all means some high glycemic options can be very helpful to keep your blood sugar up. Too much fiber during these times can drag you down.


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