Cinnamon Raisin Granola
I tried this recipe when the kids were toddlers to stretch the budget. And boy, I didn't realize how delicious homemade granola could be -- fresh out of the oven!
I tried this recipe when the kids were toddlers to stretch the budget. And boy, I didn't realize how delicious homemade granola could be -- fresh out of the oven!
- Carbohydrate 26.09792875 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.45884729166667 g
- Fiber 1.93330630645451 g
- Protein 2.212651875 g
- Saturated Fat 0.26972347415625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (35g)
- Sodium 3.71091666666667 mg
- Sugar 24.1646224435455 g
- Trans Fat 0.214873036564584 g
- Calories 129 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine oats and coconut; set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, oil, honey and cinnamon; bring to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour over oat mixture; stir to coat.
- Spread in a large shallow baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool.
- Add raisins.
- Store in an airtight container.
The ingredient list fails to explain how moisture migration dictates the texture of baked oats. When combining old-fashioned oats with a liquid binder of brown sugar, oil, honey, and cinnamon, heat application forces the free water to evaporate. As moisture leaves, the heated sugars transition from a liquid state into a brittle glass matrix upon cooling. This glassy sugar structure coats each oat cluster, providing the characteristic crunch that commercial cereals lack.
Temperature management during the 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit prevents scorching. Sucrose and fructose caramelize rapidly when exposed to direct heat, meaning prolonged baking turns pleasant notes bitter. Stirring the mixture occasionally redistributes the grains, ensuring even heat absorption across the shallow baking pan. The fat from the vegetable oil acts as a hydrophobic barrier, slowing down moisture reabsorption once the batch emerges from the oven.
Timing matters significantly for the fruit. Raisins contain roughly fifteen percent residual moisture. Introducing them to the hot pan before baking causes those sugars to burn and hardens the fruit into unchewable pellets. Adding the raisins after the baked oats cool completely preserves their pliable texture and prevents them from absorbing ambient humidity from the surrounding grains. Storing the finished product in an airtight container prevents atmospheric moisture from dissolving the sugar glass, keeping the clusters crisp for weeks.
