Mmm, delicious homemade granola, perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup whole almonds [note: i used slivered almonds, and they worked fine.]
- 1/3 cup whole hazelnuts
- Carbohydrate 361.345169866667 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 45.6617777666666 g
- Fiber 46.2224243106501 g
- Protein 65.9989278166667 g
- Saturated Fat 5.74309936833333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (568g)
- Sodium 33.4290866666667 mg
- Sugar 315.122745556017 g
- Trans Fat 4.471713175 g
- Calories 2045 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
- Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the granola and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container.
- The granola will keep for 1 week.
The Role of Rolled Oats
Rolled oats form the physical foundation of any stable cluster. Steel-cut varieties lack the surface area to bind effectively with liquid sweeteners, while instant oats break down into a powdery texture under heat. Standard rolled oats absorb the oil and sugar slurry evenly, ensuring consistent toastiness across the pan. Keep raw oats dry until mixing begins to prevent premature softening.Baking Dynamics and Tooling
A rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper prevents scorching and allows for easy rotation. Oven temperature matters immensely here. Set the dial strictly to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher heat will caramelize the brown sugar and honey too quickly, yielding a bitter taste before the interior oats lose their moisture. A metal spatula is essential for flipping the mixture at the ten-minute and fifteen-minute marks. Wood or silicone lacks the rigidity needed to scrape caramelized sugars off the parchment surface without tearing the paper.Staggered Additions and Storage
Nuts require different roasting windows based on their density. Almonds go in at the fifteen-minute mark, while hazelnuts enter at twenty minutes to prevent rancidity or burning of their delicate natural oils. Dried fruits like raisins and cherries must be added only after the pan cools completely. Residual heat will toughen the fruit and steam the oats. Store the finished batch in an airtight container for up to one week. Pair the crisp clusters with cold whole milk or plain Greek yogurt, where the high fat content balances the concentrated sweetness of the baked honey.
