Nutty & Golden Homemade Granola
About a decade ago, I began dabbling with my own homemade granola recipe. Many of my first batches were a toss out, sickly sweet with the twofold addition of honey and maple syrup. Others did not have enough butter and sugar to bind together, as the oats didn’t clump nicely, just falling through my hands. Finally, when I was eating a muesli bar one morning, I got the idea to pattern my granola after the flavor equation of this nutty, golden bar dessert. So, I experimented with my own ratio of butter, oats, sesame seeds, and nuts, which I enhanced by a sprinkle of salt to offset the sweetness of the brown sugar. Now, this granola has become a staple in our household, as I sprinkle it over oatmeal and cinnamon apples or serve it with sliced bananas, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey. We hope you find your own way to savor it!
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, I prefer Kerrygold’s
- ½ cup honey, I prefer orange blossom or goldenrod
- 2 T. light brown sugar
- ½ cup or less black raisins
- 2 T. toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 ½ cups mixed nuts (like pecans & walnuts)
- ¼ to ½ t. sea salt
- Note: substitute with gluten-free oats to make this recipe gluten-free.
Directions
- Step 1 Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
- Step 2 First, measure out the oats and toss them into a large mixing bowl. Next, melt the butter in the microwave, taking care to cover it with a paper towel, so it won’t splatter everywhere. While the butter is melting, measure out the honey. Next, when both are ready, pour the honey and melted butter over the oats and mix well. Lastly, coarsely chop the nuts, adding them along with the sesame seeds, raisins, and sugar to the oat mixture. Mix and sprinkle with salt if using.
- Step 3 And finally, grease a nonstick baking tray with butter and spread out the granola. As you place in the oven, set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove and stir the granola, so it browns evenly. Then, set the timer for another 10 minutes and stir again. Repeat this process for the next 4 minutes, then 3 minutes, and then, 3 minutes (4 + 3 +3) since the granola browns quickly at the end of the baking time. Note: the combined total baking time is 30 minutes. Enjoy!
This nutty and golden homemade granola got its inspiration from a muesli bar that I was eating one spring morning. It triggered me to mix the perfect combination of oats, honey, butter, nuts, and seeds, making it a staple in our kitchen and hopefully, yours!
Nutritional Information: serving size: ½ cup, servings per recipe: 12, calories: 244, total fat: 16 g., saturated fat: 4.4 g., cholesterol: 10 mg., sodium: 103 mg., total carbohydrate: 31.6 g., dietary fiber: 5.4 g., total sugars: 12.4 g., protein: 6.6 g., calcium: 31 mg., iron: 2 mg., potassium: 223 mg., magnesium: 85 mg., vitamin D: 4 IU, vitamin C: 0.2 mg., vitamin B-1: 0.4 mg., folate: 21 µg.