Homemade Granola

I was staring at the pantry basket which was given to me by a friend who had since returned home. It has been lying in the kitchen for a month or two and I'm just too lazy to sort them out. Amongst the assortment of tea bags, bottles of spices and sauces contained inside, I also found many half-used packets of dry ingredients including old-fashion oats, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. And I wonder what they had been used for before I realised the obvious combination that they would make up to. That's right - Granola!

A quick search online made me realised that there seem to be no "standard" recipe for making homemade granola. After studying the article from Buzzfeed, "How To Make the Best Granola Ever" and referencing the tips & techniques on "How to Make Homemade Granola" from King Arthur Flour website, I decided to come up with my own variation of Homemade Granola! ^_^

Homemade Granola

I am sharing this Homemade Granola with blog event, No Waste Food Challenge organised and hosted by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

I am also sharing this recipe with blog events Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily of A Mummy Too; CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello. 

              

Homemade Granola
The Dream Baker's Creation

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients Required

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, and/or walnuts) 1 cup raw sunflower seeds 1 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup neutral-flavoured oil 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon regular salt

Bakeware Used

Large baking sheet measuring approximately 18" x 13"

Preparation Steps

1. Preheat oven at 300 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, ground cinnamon and salt. Set bowl aside.
3. In a saucepan, combine honey and oil, and bring mixture to a soft boil or until honey comes to a runny state.
4. Pour wet mixture over the dry mixture, stir to combine.
5. Spread mixture on large baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper (optional, but recommended for easy clean-up).

6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until deep brown in colour, stirring every 15 minutes to keep the edges from burning and to ensure it bakes evenly.

7. Once ready, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Toss in dried cranberries and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Serve as desired.

The Dream Baker's Experiment - I used a combination of pecan chips and chopped walnuts in my above recipe and baked the granola for approximately 40 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. I must say this is a super easy and versatile recipe. The key is to watch over and stir occasionally during the baking process to ensure even baking and to avoid burning the granola. The nuts, seeds, spices and dried fruits may be replaced with any suitable substitutes as desired to suit individual's taste preference. For me, I am pretty much satisfied with my above recipe combination. ^_^

This Homemade Granola makes great gifts too! Simply store them in individual mason jars and decorate! And there are endless ways of eating these homemade granola. 

My best choice of all is......

Homemade granola with vanilla ice cream!

Have fun with your creation!

Dare to dream.

The Dream Baker