There is nothing quite like homemade granola. I first started to make it last summer. Tony and I were food shopping one evening and he picked up a pack of gluten free granola which had caught his eye. I took one look at it, clocked the price (at around £12 per kilo) and immediately replaced the packet on the shop shelf. “I can make something much better than that, for much less!”, I declared.
True to my word, as soon as we returned home, I turned the oven on, and made this recipe for granola, which lasted for around two days. I’ve been making it ever since. The fresh, toasted flavour of homemade granola is totally unlike anything you can buy, even from upmarket retailers.
You can mix and match the fruit, seeds and nuts you add to include your favourite ingredients. Just make it up to the total weight required in the recipe. It often turns into a kitchen cupboard raid at this stage, and I will use up open packets of fruit, nuts and seeds here. I like to include dried cranberries, lovely large sultanas, mixed seeds and whole almonds.
This granola is gorgeous served with milk, instead of breakfast cereal (Tony’s favourite!), or I like just a little sprinkled onto a bowl of whole milk yoghurt, topped with some fresh berries.
I made a batch for my sister recently, who had texted me before I’d even returned home to ask for the recipe. I said I’d blog it, so here you go. Lucy, this recipe is for you.
- 165g butter, or coconut butter
- 165g honey
- 450g oats
- 300g total weight of dried fruit, nuts and seeds
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Set aside a large baking tray. It needs to have sides, so that your granola doesn't fall off the tray.
- Place the butter and honey into a small saucepan over a moderate heat. Stir regularly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Place the oats into a large mixing bowl, pour over the butter and honey mixture and stir well to coat the oats evenly.
- Tip the oats out onto the baking tray. Spread evenly and place in to the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, turn over the oats and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove the last from the oven and set aside to cool. Continue to turn the oats regularly as they cool, so that they don't stick.
- Place your dried fruit, nuts and seeds into a large mixing bowl. Tip in the cooled oats and stir well to combine evenly. Store in an airtight container and enjoy within a month.
