Granola seems to be one of those recipes we forget about for months then suddenly make lots of. It’s pretty great for the summertime because we can turn the oven on and make a big batch in the evening, and then not have to heat up the oven or stove to make breakfast for the next few days.

Basically, granola is a mix of grains, nuts, seeds, and maybe dried fruit that is lightly coated in oil, toasted, and sweetened. So you can put in pretty much anything you like.

This batch included rolled oats, barley flakes, wheat bran, wheat flakes (knock-off Wheaties), sunflower seeds, seasame seeds, walnuts and almonds (coarsely chopped after photographing), vegetable oil, and brown sugar.

Besides making your own granola, any of these ingredients could be tossed in with purchased granola (or any cereal really) to tailor its flavor or nutritional content.

Granola

1/3 cup oil
2 TBS to 1/3 cup sweetener
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups wheat flakes
2 cups other nuts/seeds/dried fruit/other
a little bit of spice if that sounds nice

Pour oil into a 9×13 pan and stick the pan in the cold oven. Turn the oven on to 350°F. While the oil warms up get out all your ingredients and coarsely chop any nuts being included. When the oil is fluid like water, but before it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the oven. Stir in your sweetener. Add all the other ingredients and stir to coat them with oil. Return the pan to the oven. For the next 15 minutes or so while it bakes, the granola will need stirred every 5-7 minutes. Don’t walk away and forget about it. And if you have an aggressive little oven like mine, or are the kind of person who turns everything to high to make it go faster, plan on stirring every 2-3 minutes. When the granola looks golden and toasted (but before it burns) take it out of the oven to cool. You’ll want to stir it occasionally as it cools to keep it from solidifying into a block. Or you can pour it out in a thin layer on cookie sheets to cool.

Sweetener ideas:
honey (traditional for granola)
molasses
brown sugar
maple syrup
ect.

Nuts/Seeds/Dried Fruit/Other ideas:
walnuts
almonds
cashews
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
flax seed meal
shredded coconut
crystallized ginger
raisins
dried apricots
wheat germ