Granola Recipe Taste Test

[valchemist]

I have been baking a couple of batches of granola a day for the past few days, trying to find the recipe I like best. I learned a lot. I stopped after I had tried 6 recipes because I found three that I really like, and that is enough for me!

The main things I learned:
- Some recipes are a lot sweeter than others and, surprise, I actually like both kinds a lot.
- A touch of added salt does wonders for a sweet granola recipe. It doesn’t make the granola salty at all. It just brings out the flavors in the granola.
- Granola recipes that are less sweet don’t need any salt.
- I don’t like granolas with lots of spices.
- Be sure you bake the granola enough so that is nice and crispy, but watch it closely because it can burn easily.
- Nonfat granolas can be very good. Granolas with oil have a better texture and flavor, though.
- Everyone’s tastes are different. A recipe that one person loves can be a dud for another person. You need to experiment on your own to find the one you like.

Here are the recipe titles I tried and my comments. I will post the full recipes in a separate post.

Maureen’s Granola – Maureen (Kima) posted her favorite granola recipe last week and I knew I had to try it, since it is tried and true. This recipe is great. I left out the sunflower seeds, but otherwise followed the recipe. This recipe was not as sweet as all of the others, but even though I have a BIG sweet tooth, I loved the taste of this one. It tastes really wholesome and healthy (but not in a bad way)! It doesn’t clump, but that didn’t bother me. The texture was great due to the oil. It wasn’t greasy, just crunchy and toothsome.

Cooking Thin Crunchy Granola – This recipe had no added fat, but it was great! I loved the sweetness and the vanilla taste and the salt really brought out the flavors. When I tried this one side by side with another sweet granola which had no salt, I realized how important the salt was to the flavor. As I said above, the salt doesn’t make the granola salty – it just brings out the flavor. This granola will clump if you want it to clump.

Down to Earth Granola – Linda in MO posted this one and it was excellent. It was very similar to the Cooking Thin Crunchy Granola, but it was sweeter and the texture was a bit better due to the oil. Again, the vanilla taste in this recipe is great. Side by side, I like this one better than the Cooking Thin Granola, but of course it isn’t as healthy because it is higher in fat and sugar. I tried to get this one to clump, but I didn’t have much success. No matter – it was still great!

Granola with Vanilla and Fruit Juice – This recipe is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I really wanted to like this one because it is sooo healthy. It doesn’t have a lot of sugar, there is no fat, and it has the protein-rich grain quinoa. Well, I wanted to like it, but I didn’t. The quinoa (which goes into the recipe uncooked) ends up tasting a little like sesame seeds (to me anyway). I didn’t particularly like that flavor in the granola. Plus, I couldn’t taste the maple or the vanilla. Finally, even though I cooked this for longer than the recipe suggested, it never got crunchy. I had to toss it. Oh well. The recipe has gotten good reviews elsewhere, so maybe it is just me.

Crunchy Spice Granola – This was a highly-recommended CL recipe. I didn’t like the taste of it. It was much too spicy for my tastes. There was no added fat and it clumped very well, so the recipe had that going for it. But beyond that, I can’t make any other positive comments. I just didn’t care for it all that much. I will finish the rest of it, so it isn’t a total loss, I just won’t make it again.

Lowfat Granola – This was a modification of a CL recipe (Crunchy Granola with Dried Fruit, July/Aug 1998) posted by SusanT. I thought this one was pretty good. But after trying the Cooking Thin Granola and the Down to Earth Granola, this one didn’t quite compare. I think the taste was a bit flat without the salt (see note in the review for the Cooking Thin Granola). I think the addition of a bit of salt to this one would do wonders. I would make this one again with that modification. This one clumped nicely.



Okay, that’s all. I would love it if some of you guys would post your favorite tried and true recipes or comments on these recipes here!

[valchemist]

* Exported from MasterCook *

Maureen's Granola

Recipe By : posted by Kima
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breakfast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 c rolled oats
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c wheat germ
1/4 c bran
1 c chopped nuts
4 tbsp Ground flax seeds
1/2 c oil
1/2 c honey

I mix the honey and oil in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
I mix everything together and put it in a roasting pan at 325 deg. and stir every 15 minutes until golden brown.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Cooking Thin Crunchy Granola

Recipe By :Kathleen Daelemans
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cup brown sugar -- (or cut back to 1 cup)
1/2 cup water
4 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
8 cups rolled oats
2 c chopped pecans or walnuts -- or slivered almonds
2 c chopped dates

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and reserve.

Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave proof glass measuring cup or bowl. Place in microwave on high for 5 minutes and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave, add vanilla extract and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, and brown sugar syrup mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto cookie sheets. (to clump the granola, squeeze it into clumps while on the baking pan, but before baking.) Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and crunchy.

When the mixture comes out of the oven, it is still very pliable. You may choose to add in dried fruit as a finishing touch at this time. When granola has cooled completely, store in an airtight container.



Source:
"FoodTV's Cooking Thin, posted by sfarler on bb"




* Exported from MasterCook *

Down to Earth Granola

Recipe By : posted by Linda in MO
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breakfast Grains


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups raisins and/or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.

In a small saucepan warm the oil and honey. (I did this in a glass measuring cup in the microwave). Carefully stir in the vanilla (be careful because it bubbles up).

Pour liquid over oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand if needed.

Spread granola in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan (I greased it, next time will use parchment paper).

Bake 40 minutes stirring carefully every 10 minutes. (I would probably bake a few less minutes next time)

Cool on pan on a rack.

Stir in raisins or cranberries.

Store in airtight container. Will keep 1 week at room temp. or 3 months in freezer. (this was still fine after a week)


Source:
"Better Homes and Gardens, April 2002"



* Exported from MasterCook *

Granola with Vanilla and Fruit Juice

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breakfast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cups rolled oats -- or rolled flakes of wheat, spelt, or barley (I use half oat and half wheat flakes)
1 cup quinoa -- rinsed
1/2 cup chopped nuts -- (or try sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)
2 tsp cinnamon -- (can add more)
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup maple syrup -- (or honey)
1 tsp vanilla -- (I use more)
1 cup apple juice -- (I use either red apple or a combo of apple and cranberry juice)
1/2 c raisins or dried cherries

Preheat oven to 300. Combine all dry ingredients and than add liquids. Toss well to moisten evenly. Pour into pan and bake until browned for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the dried fruit once the cereal is cooked.

sherri's notes: Or 40 minutes to one hour (I like mine very crispy so I raise the temp and bake longer!) I also find if I divide the mixture into two casserole pans they cook crispier. makes about 6 cups.

Source:
"Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone"
Yield:
"6 c"



* Exported from MasterCook *

Crunchy Spice Granola

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 64 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Dec '96

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups regular oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (6-ounce) jar pear baby food
1 cup wheat bran flakes cereal with raisins
1 cup crisp cross of corn and rice cereal
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped dates
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350º.

Spread first three ingredients on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 250º.

Combine honey and next 5 ingredients (honey through baby food) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.

Combine oat mixture, honey mixture, bran flakes, and next 5 ingredients (bran flakes through dates); stir well. Spread mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250º for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Source:
"Cooking Light, December 1996, p.164"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
Yield:
"8 "



* Exported from MasterCook *

Low Fat Granola

Recipe By : posted by SusanT on bb
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup boiling water
1/4 c packed brown sugar
8 ozs dried fruit (blueberries, crasins, dried
cherries, dates, or raisins)
3 cups regular oats
1 cup chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl, and let stand 1/2 hour. Combine oats and remaining ingredients and stir into the dried-fruit mixture (the oats will be wet). Sprinkle oat mixture over a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 300 for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Store in air-tight container.

Feel free to vary the nuts and fruits to your tastes. Some of our favorite combinations are blueberries and cherries with pecans or almonds or blueberries and crasins with almonds.

Keep a close eye on this while baking. It can go from perfect to scorched very quickly.

Enjoy! (This recipe doubles well or even triples for those with a convection oven!)


Source:
"modification of CL recipe (Crunchy Granola with Dried Fruit, July/Aug
1998)"



NOTES : my notes: this is good, but it would be better with salt (about 1/2 tsp) and vanilla (1tbsp). I like the Cooking Thin "Crunchy Granola" better because of the vanilla and salt, I think.

[Peggy C.]

Wow Val you tested all of these since Fri? I am impressed. As always thanks for your reviews and if I'm ever in the market for a granola recipe I'll know where to come looking for it.

[KDHE]

I too am on a search for a good, healthy, homemade granola recipe. The other day I made the granola with vanilla and fruit juice you mentioned above and it was SO bad. No taste, not crunchy and just plain horrible. I was so disappointed! I tossed it too. Thanks so much for the reviews---I will try others you have mentioned!

[erinl]

Thanks, Val!

I'm spending way too much money these days on Trader Joe's Low Fat Soy Vanilla Granola. I'll have to try making my own. The Cooking Thin one sounds perfect.

Erin

[valchemist]

Originally posted by Peggy C.
Wow Val you tested all of these since Fri?

yep. I just had all the ingredients out and got on a roll. luckily, the granola keeps well, so I can eat it at my leisure. I love granola, so that won't be a problem. And Julia likes it, too.

[Terrytx]

thanks for all the comparison cooking and your reviews!! This is what I was going to do also, but haven't gotten around to it. I am anxious to start trying them out.

[Mamasue]

Thanks Val for all your work doing this. I love granola and will certainly make some soon. Now, what is your next adventure? :D

[KristinK]

More thanks from me, Val! As I mentioned in the Klatch, I've had some of these (the Cooking Thin one, Crunchy Spice Granola, and SusanT's modified Lowfat Granola) in my 'to try' file for a while - so you saved me some effort. Now I'll definitely try (eventually!) the Cooking Thin one first, though I still want to try the Crunchy Spice one, since I do like a little spiciness :p

[Jeanygirl]

I mentioned this on another thread, but my tried and true granola is the one found in Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe. I've made other granolas over the years, but this one really is the most satisfying for me. Maybe i'm obsessed with pumpkin seeds or something :) I dunno.

I plan on trying a few of these recipes, too, but I just wanted to add my two cents!!

Here's the recipe, so nobody has to look for it!
VERY CRUNCHY GRANOLA

From the upcoming "Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café" (Hyperion 2002)

Yield: 6 cups or more, depending on how many additonal ingredients you choose to add

The very best! So good, my husband actually asked me to make this less often.

Granola should be crunchy. Very crunchy. And here's a recipe that really works! It's very filling, so if you eat this for breakfast, especially with fresh fruit and any kind of milk or yogurt added, you'll be satisfied for hours afterwards!

If you can't find barley flakes, you can sutbsitute wheat flakes or just use all rolled oats. If you're adding wheat germ, do so right at serving time, directly from the freezer, so the oil won't break down.

INGREDIENTS:
Nonstick spray for the baking tray
3 cups rolled oat flakes
1 cup barley flakes
1 cup oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup soy protein powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin seeds (optional, but highly recommended!)

Other possible additions:
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Up to 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Up to 1 cup other kinds of nuts, chopped
Dried fruit (add after it is baked)
Wheat germ (add after it is baked)
Up to 1 cup roasted soy beans (add after it is baked)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray a 13 X 18-inch baking tray with nonstick spray.

Place the flakes, bran, sunflower seeds, and almonds in a large bowl. (Also look through the list of "other possible additons" and add sesame seeds, coconut, or other nuts, if desired.)

Combine the oil, honey or syrup and vanilla extract, and pour this in. Mix thoroughly. (Use your hands, if necessary.)

Stir in the protein powder and salt, and mix throughly (again, use your hands).

Bake for 40 or 50 minutes, stirring a few times--until golden.

Crumble in sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven and let it melt in. Cool it on the tray, and add the pumpkin seeds as it cools.

NOTE: The granola will get crunchy as it cools!

Store it in a tightly closed jar in the freezer for maximum freshness.

[valchemist]

thanks for posting that mollie katzen one, snarfy. :p


I was going to try it, but I would have had to buy oat bran and I don't have any source for barley flakes around here, so I decided not to try it after all.

[ande]

Val - www.bobsredmill.com has barley flakes (also called rolled barley) and many other awesome products.

Here's my sister's recipe...she makes it every week. It's really good. It's not exactly lowfat, but has lots of other virtues!:) Now that my mom omits the flaxseed, both my parents love this granola as well.


CRUNCHY GRANOLA
1/2 - 1 c. coconut
4 c. rolled oats
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. wheat germ
1/4 - 1/2 c. sesame seed
1 c. nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans)
1 c. nonfat dry milk
1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1 c. honey, molasses or maple syrup*
1/2 c. canola oil
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Bring sweetener, oil & vanilla to boil and pour over dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Spread on 2 large greased cookie sheets. Bake about 30 minutes at 325, stirring often. Watch closely at the end, not allowing granola to become too dark. Allow to cool undisturbed, then break into chunks.

*You can also use brown sugar for sweetener; just increase oil to 3/4 c. or add 1/4 c. water.

[CompassRose]

I'm interested in the Mollie Katzen one, myself (I've printed it out and it's drifting around someplace) 'cos it has the soy protein. My personal favourite granola (which is also eating a hole in my bank card) is the Kashi Crunch... sweet, VERY crunchy, very low in fat, AND high in protein. If I try it, I'll probably vary the actual thingies in it (maybe include something puffed, as in the Kashi) but I want to see the effects of soy protein as a "glue."

[Terrytx]

The soy protein didn't act much like glue in the Mollie recipe. The brown sugar and portein powder sort of just settle to the bottom. Its good though.

[wallycat]

Val,
thanks for all that hard work. I used to make home-made granola. Then DH decided he wanted plain oatmeal...now he's hooked on some mueslei cereal I accidently ordered from my co-op. :rolleyes:

Kima's (Maureen) recipe looks perfect for my tastes...I may try again and see if I can get him off the store-bought stuff :D ;)

Thanks!
p.s. Your little Julia is so lucky to have a mommy that cooks and bakes all this wonderful stuff. She'll grow up loving the kitchen just like her mom and grandma :)

[hAndyman]

I'm glad to see that you're enjoying (mostly) the fruits of your labour, Val. This is an interesting project you've been working on, and I'm glad to see the recipes you've posted, as well as the others posted. Here's my addition, one that I make every couple of weeks to fill our needs. We usually have dried or fresh fruits on it, and snack on it from the can frequently. A Swiss teen living with us for the year loves it with apple juice on it, and sometimes heats it up for a hot breakfast version!
The original version was posted by Pat/No. Cal. @ Gail's.

The Queen's Oats (granola)

8 cups regular rolled oats
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar, or a little less (makes a fairly sweet granola)
1-1/2 cups regular wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame, sunflower or other seeds
1/2 cup coconut or nuts, or both, as desired
1/2 cup unprocessed oat or wheat bran (optional, but healthy)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
raisins or chopped dried fruits (optional)

Preheat oven to 325º. In a large bowl add all dry ingredients except raisins or dried fruit, stir to blend. In a saucepan heat oil, honey or maple syrup and vanilla just until bubbling. Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Divide mixture between two lightly greased 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheets, spreading evenly. Bake about 20 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned. Remove from oven and stir several times as grains cool to prevent sticking. (If you like your granola in chunks, don't stir while it cools.) When cool, add raisins or other dried fruit, or store as is and add dried or fresh fruit as you see fit. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 16 cups

Andy's notes: I add a couple of Tablespoons each of sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and a Tbs each of millet and poppy seeds, as well as 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut and 1/2 cup broken pecans or slivered almonds. I use about 3/4 cup brown or unprocessed sugar and a 1/2 cup of honey and a little less oil than is called for. I used a medium grade maple syrup once but it was a waste as there was little maple flavour - best to pour a bit of syrup on your cereal for a better maple flavour, imo. I bake this undisturbed for 20 minutes in the oven, remove and cool before breaking it up - we seem to like to snack on the chunks, and they add more texture to the cereal in the bowl. I tried reducing the sugar and honey even more after we all got into eating this but the cereal didn't hold together as well and I heard about it and upped the sugar to keep everybody happy.
Cheers! Andy:)

[WWShannon]

I love granola and have searched endlessly for new and improved recipes that could fit my Weight Watcher mindset. When I was really counting points, I developed this recipe which is really "low in points," meaning low in fat and high in fiber.

WWShannon's Granola

3 cups oats (not quick cooking - for shame!)
1 cup All Bran cereal
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
6 TBSP. Wheatgerm
1/2 cup applesauce (I use raspberyy applesauce at times)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
splash (or two) of almond extract

Preheat oven to 325. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Mix applesauce, honey, almond extract and cinnamon together in small bowl. Then, pour applesauce mixture over the granola and stir until nicely incorporated. Spread out on large jelly roll pan and bake for 35 minutes (or longer, depending on how crunchy you like it), careful to stir occassionally. Cool. Serve with yogurt, milk, soy milk - you name it. (This granola will clump if you want it too!)

For WW people.....this makes about 12 - 1/2 cup servings at 3 points per cup.

Shannon

[valchemist]

Originally posted by ande
Val - www.bobsredmill.com has barley flakes (also called rolled barley) and many other awesome products.



thanks, ande. yes, I know about Bob's red Mill. I have ordered from them. I just didn't want to order an ingredient online for the sole purpose of making one recipe.

thanks for that granola recipe, too. it looks really good.

[valchemist]

Thank you Andy and Shannon for those recipes. They both look great. And I love that they are tried and true and "worked over."


One more thing I learned that I should have put in the original post:

The fat free granola is more jagged and harder to eat, in general. This isn't a problem if you like to eat your granola with milk, because the milk softens it up. The granola with fat (Maureen's and the Down to Earth recipe) are a great texture. They are crunchy but NOT jagged or hard on the mouth.

[kima]

Oh wow I am speechless... You like me you really like me!!:)
Actually I realize I forgot to add sesame seeds to the list! I am always changing and adding to this. We also add raisins when we go to eat it!

I never look at a recipe-after making this for 25 years I don't have to!!
:o ;)

[wallycat]

Val, just curious if you have Maureen's recipe in mastercook for the nutritional info :)

[kima]

Ooops here comes the bad part.....:eek: :o

[valchemist]

Maureen, I think you might have mentioned that you add a "handful" of sesame seeds. But I decided not to use them and I didn't put them into the mastercook recipe above.

here is the nutritional info for the recipe as written above, assuming 20 servings (I hope that means each serving is about a 1/2 cup, but I can't be sure):


Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 275 Calories; 14g Fat (42.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.



if you would like the nutritional info with any modifications (with sesame seeds or fruit or with less of something or with omissions), let me know!

also, if anyone wants the nutrition for any of the other recipes, let me know. (specify whether you want me to include fruit, seeds, nuts, etc.) that's why I didn't include the nutrition in the first place -- everyone has different preferences as far as fruits and nuts, etc. go.

[Natasha]

Hi Val,

Thanks for all the recipes and reviews. I haven't made granola for eons but may have to try a couple of these. I think I'll try Maureen's first! :cool:

Natasha

[gertdog]

Val, thanks for sharing the results! I'm convinced that one day the Cook's Illustrated test kitchen is going to show up on your doorstep and hire you on the spot! :)

And thank you everyone else who has shared favorite recipes, too.

I look forward to trying some of these. Like CompassRose, I am hooked on the Kashi GoLean Crunch- I eat it mixed with yogurt for a yummy high-fiber breakfast- but it is expensive stuff!!

[Terrytx]

I made the Cooking Thin Crunchy Granola last night, and it is crunchy and delicious right out of hand as a snack and with milk as a cereal. Very different from Mollie Katzen's.

[valchemist]

Terry, Thanks for the review and comparison. If you like the Cooking thin granola, you will LOVE the Down to Earth recipe. I used more vanilla than was called for, because I love that vanilla taste in granola.

[syzygy]

A question for all you granola makers...:)

I noticed a few of the recipes call for powdered milk. Being lactose intolerant, I was wondering if I could sub soy milk powder or just leave it out all together? :confused: Or is there something else that can be subbed? :confused:

TIA

[Terrytx]

It's up next, then Maureen's. I just wish my order from Bob's Red Mill would hurry and get here so I can add some different flakes to it. Maybe today (I keep saying that:( )

[valchemist]

Originally posted by syzygy
A question for all you granola makers...:)

I noticed a few of the recipes call for powdered milk. Being lactose intolerant, I was wondering if I could sub soy milk powder or just leave it out all together? :confused: Or is there something else that can be subbed? :confused:

TIA

Leslie,
in the Low Fat Granola recipe that I posted, I think that the milk is actually important, so I wouldn't leave it out. I think substitution soy milk powder would work fine!
Val

[jjsooner73]

Wow Val! I'm going to try and make some of these over the next month to take to a kid's camp I'm going to in late July. I think I want some w/ a little fat at least, and seeing that I'll be doing much walking, swimming, no sleeping, etc. I think that would be OK. It would be a great snack to have around (as long as I can keep the mice in the cabins away. :rolleyes: )

I think I'll try the Down th Earth, Cooking Thin, and the Spiced Granola (I love spicy stuff like that). Or maybe a combination of them...I never do follow a recipe exact.

[mrswaz]

I really like the Cooking Thin granola as well. DH likes it when I turn it into trail mix. I add soy nuts, peanuts, raisins (or craisins) and a scant 1/2 C. of mini M$M's. It makes enough that he snacks on it for a couple of weeks before I need to make more.

I also had this granola from my SIL recently. It is VERY good. To be honest, I couldn't believe she made it. Anyway, I got the recipe, and planned on tweaking it a little, because it seems to me it has lots of sugars in it, but it really is very good.

Granola

5 C. Oatmeal
3/4 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. concentrated apple juice
1/2 C. dry milk
1/3 C. honey
2 Tbs. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. dried fruit/nuts/seeds, etc.

Mix brown sugar, juice, dry milk and honey in a pan, heat until brown sugar dissolves. Combine other dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour sugar mixture slowly over dry mixture and blend well. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool when done, store in an airtight container.

[wallycat]

I sort-of made Maureen's (Kima) granola last night. Of course I changed a few ingredients :D but i was basically looking to find proportions of dried stuff to oil/sweetener to get a crisp granola without excessive calories and have it taste great without being too (store-bought) sweet.
This was PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS for your hard work Val as well as for your great descriptions and test results otherwise I may not have tried it.
Kima (MAureen), thanks sooooooo much for sharing your recipe!!

[CompassRose]

See? Up there, in mrswaz' recipe, what it does with the dry milk? That's what I figured on doing with the soy protein, melting it right into the "binder goo". I noticed Kashi (which I had for breakfast, in fact...) also has some other soy thing in it. Wonder if it's Textured Soy Protein? Lots of protein bars have it, too...

I've got to try some stuff... I'm almost out of Kashi again, and that stuff costs $5.99 a box!

[Terrytx]

Linda in MO's Down to Earth Granola was on the slate for the weekend, and it's already almost gone. This makes a great snack. I think this makes a better snack than a cereal. I liked the Cooking Thin Crunchy Granola, better as a cereal. I think it's Maureen’s Granola next up.

[Sami]

This is a recipe I use.

Granola
To store granola more thaan 2 weeks, freeze it.

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisens.

Combine first 6 ingredients. Combine the honey and oil. Stir into the oat mixture. Spread into a 13X9 pan. Bake at 300 degrees until golden brown, about 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in apricots and raisens. Cool. Stir occasionally as it cools to prevent lumping. Makes 6 1/2 cups.

Sami

[kima]

Sami-your recipe is very similiar to mine-except I use about 7 cups of oats for the same amount of honey and oil. I am not sure, but I wonder if the fact that I heat the oil and honey together means I can use less. The honey seems to go farther if it is thinner-does that make any sense?

[honeygirl1971]

Val--I love reading about your experiments. Your comments are so interesting, and you save the rest of us a ton of work! I have always wanted to try homemade granola and now I think I just may do it! I think it would make a lovely gift for someone, with some fancy tea or coffee or something like that. :)

[Sami]

Maureen,

Yes, if you heat the honey it does get thinner, and maybe i will do that next time. I tried to look at the recipes Val posted to see whether I was repeating anybodys. I didn't think yours had coconut in it.

Val, I am too am amazed at all your experimenting.

Sami

[honeygirl1971]

Sami--BTW, yours sounds really delicious with the nuts, apricots, and coconut in it. Yum!

[alicerh]

Several of these sound great but my favorite is the Barefoot Contessa recipe. I reduce the oil to 1/4 cup. Also, in my oven it doesn't need this much time to brown. Watch closely.
Alice



Homemade Granola
Inspired by Sarah Chase's Open House Cookbook


Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 cups
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup good honey
1 1/2 cups small diced dried apricots
1 cup small diced dried figs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a 13 by 18 by 1-inch sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even, golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

[AmyJane]

Originally posted by gertdog
Like CompassRose, I am hooked on the Kashi GoLean Crunch- I eat it mixed with yogurt for a yummy high-fiber breakfast- but it is expensive stuff!!

Not if you buy it at Trader Joe's! It's really inexpensive there. I know b/c I like it too.

Val, thanks for sharing all these great granola recipes. You've inspired me to try all four of them. DH and I stayed at a B&B recently and tried their homemade low-fat granola and their "ridiculously high-fat" (that's what it was labelled!) granola and liked both but the low-fat one seemed very dry in comparison. I liked that they added currants and dried cranberries. You probably don't care for sunflower seeds, but they weren't bad. We'll I'm off to make some granola now ...

[jjsooner73]

Modified Down to Earth Granola

Here is what I made last week. I was pretty tasty. I drove over 1000 miles since Wednesday morning, and this was a good snack while driving!!

Here is the recipe as I made it. I used 1 T. extra of oil and honey since I had a bit more dry ingredients.

Thanks for all your taste testing Val! I may try and make some more this week.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Down to Earth Granola (Modified)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Snacks

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup pineapple, dried



Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 317 Calories; 16g Fat (43.9% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 80mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 3 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

[JulieAnn]

Today for our camping trip I made some granola that's somewhere between DOWN TO EARTH GRANOLA and the MODIFIED DOWN TO EARTH GRANOLA:D . It's a great base to work from. This was my first time making granola. It was easy and it's delicious. I just wish it were lower in fat!

[Leisa M]

Could you add raisins, dates or coconut to it? and where would you add them?

[valchemist]

you could add any of those things to it. I would just add them after the granola has cooled.

[Leisa M]

Originally posted by valchemist
you could add any of those things to it. I would just add them after the granola has cooled.

Thanks.

[gertdog]

I got to make the Down to Earth Granola this weekend- boy is it good! Great flavor, easy to put together. I didn't modify the recipe at all- but I've put jjsooner's modifications into Mastercook to help guide my experimenting next time. :)

Thanks all!

[MaryH]

I remember seeing this post but hadn't read it. As I was looking at the March 2003 Sunset magazine I came across a granola recipe which I just made. (I should have looked at this post first because there are all sorts of things I will add next time. Anyways here's their recipe and this is probably what Val would call non-fat (no sugar) and it tends to be more on the crunchy dry side.)

Clementine's Fruit and Nut Granola

6 cups regular rolled oats
2 cups almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon I used 2 tsp

Mix together in large bowl.

1 cup honey
3/4 cup canola oil I used corn oil because it's what I had on hand
1 tsp vanillla I probably used a little more

Mix together. Stir honey mixture into oat mixture until well blended. Spread mixture on lightly oiled I used Pam 12x15 inch baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. With wide metal spatula stir granola, scraping sides and bottom of pan. Reduce heat to 225 and continue to bake for one hour, stirring several times. Let cool completely in pan, then scrape into airtight containee.

2/3 cup sour dried cherries
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup slivered almonds

Recipe says to mix these together and then store them. Add the dried fruit when serving. I added about a cup of dried orange flavored cranberries to the oat mix and baked it. Next time I will add wheat germ, coconut, and maybe protein powder.

[gertdog]

Bumping up this older thread to ask a question- am hoping Val or other granola makers will have some insights. What makes a granola "clump"? I have been making Linda in MO's Down to Earth granola and it is very good, but I'd like to make it clump together more. I looked at the recipes that have been posted and Val's comments about which recipes "clumped" and which didn't, and I am having trouble discerning any relationship between the ingredients and the clump factor. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Stephanie

[valchemist]

it's a good question, but I have no idea. not even a guess. sorry!

[karen w]

If I want mine "clumpier" I always pinch it together into clumps before I bake it and try to mix gently in the oven so the clumps stay when it is cooled. It's worked for me so far, anyway.

Karen

[gracey]

I don't have the scientific answer for you, but I have tried a lot of non-clumping recipes and wasn't pleased with them. The only liquids that I have found to make clumps are corn syrup (just can't bring myself to use a cup of that) and sweetened condensed milk. I now mix up whatever oats, nuts, seeds that I want, add salt and spices and mix in a can of the condensed milk--no other liquid. The scmilk gives the granola a great flavor and I just try to avert my eyes from the nutritional information. The clumps are not the crispy clumps--more of the slight crunch mixed with a chewy texture if that makes any sense at all.

[hAndyman]

The granola recipe I posted in this thread is great for making clumps with one simple technique which may work with the other recipes posted here. When baking the granola, use non-stick sheets or liners, and do not stir the granola while baking or after baking until the granola has reached room temperature, when you will need to break it up into chunks or clumps of granola that can be eaten by hand or in bowls - yummy.
Cheers! Andy:)

[mobear]

Thanks all!

I *love* granola, and the stores up here just do not have the good bulk granola section that I used to have down in TX. I will definitely make some of these.

[gertdog]

Thanks for all the thoughts on "clumping"- I will give your ideas a try next time I make a batch of granola. :)

[Titus2woman]

I know this is an old thread by now, but I just joined this site based on it! LOL! I did a search for granola recipes, and y'all were so thorough that it stopped right here, as I have no need to look any further. ~smile~ (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[valchemist]

welcome! you will love it here!!

[Vicanddi]

Hi Sandi, welcome to the boards. Just wait, you will find so much more to make!

[JLS]

Hi Val,

I have 2 questions, about the "Cooking Thin" version: 1) do you have this in MC, and would it be easy for you to post the nutrtional values for it? (I'm looking for the ww points) and 2) what kind of dates did you use? dried, that come that come chopped or whole in a tub?

Thanks! I saw this recipe when I had the book out of the library, but her not inlcuding the nutrtional values deterred me!

:) TAG!

[NewMrsG]

I never noticed this thread before! But my mom introduced me to the Cooking Thin granola, and now I make it every week. I leave out the dates, but add raisins - half golden raisins and half "regular". I also sometimes add almond extract in place of the vanilla, although I think I like the vanilla better.

And I discovered last weekend (accidentally!) that the quick oats work okay, although they're not as good. :)

[valchemist]

Originally posted by JLS
Hi Val,

I have 2 questions, about the "Cooking Thin" version: 1) do you have this in MC, and would it be easy for you to post the nutrtional values for it? (I'm looking for the ww points) and 2) what kind of dates did you use? dried, that come that come chopped or whole in a tub?

Thanks! I saw this recipe when I had the book out of the library, but her not inlcuding the nutrtional values deterred me!

:) TAG!

I left out the dates (even though I love dates). If I were to use them, I would use the already-chopped kind. The whole ones are too sticky.

Here is the info, assuming 16 servings and no dates:

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 309 Calories; 13g Fat (35.7% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 141mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

and here is the info with dates:

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 370 Calories; 13g Fat (29.7% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 60g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 141mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

[claire797]

Originally posted by NewMrsG
I never noticed this thread before! But my mom introduced me to the Cooking Thin granola, and now I make it every week. I leave out the dates, but add raisins - half golden raisins and half "regular". I also sometimes add almond extract in place of the vanilla, although I think I like the vanilla better.

And I discovered last weekend (accidentally!) that the quick oats work okay, although they're not as good. :)

I've tried a few of the granola recipes and always go back to the Cooking Thin. Low fat or not, it's the best in my book. The texture is crunchy, it clumps well, and has a nice vanilla flavor.

I usually add pecans, slivered almonds and chocolate chips. so it has some fat, but at least it's good fat. Also, since I'm so partial to clumps, I use Andy's method of clumping.

[JLS]

Thank you, Val!


Wow...the recipe as written calculates to 8 WW points. (that's alotta points!)

[dibranchia]

Well, I decided to try this, since I had everything on hand (except for the sunflower seeds and wheat germ). It was pretty good, if a little too crunchy. I guess oil would make it a little softer? I really only eat it with yogurt, and I'll have to let it sit in the yogurt for a while before eating it. *GRIN* It wasn't my fave Bear Naked, but it was pretty good... It's hard as heck to find raw sunflower seeds and almonds! I'm in this tiny little town, and all I could find was little 1/2 cup pkgs of sliced almonds (what about Atkins people?) and roasted sunflower seeds. *SIGH* I have to make a trip into the big city one of these days. (45 minutes each way)

Forget-the-Fat Granola

So much of the commercially prepared granol in the supermarket is loaded with fat and a heafty amount of added sugar. One way to cut down on white sugar is to sweeten recipes with fruit juice concentrate (unsweetened, of course). If you love granola but not its overload of fat and sugar, you will love this slenderized version, naturally sweetened with apple-juice concentrate.

12 Servings

3 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick-cooking)
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup whole raw almonds, roughly chopped (see Note)
2 Tbsp shelled raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened apple-juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the juice concentrate, stir well, and spread mixture evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Mix in the dried cranberries or raisins, then pour into a sealable container or plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 2 months (A serving is 1/2 cup).

NOTE: Do not use toasted almonds or sunflower seeds in this recipe, as they will burn in the oven. Avoid packaged varieites that inculde salt or seasonings. Plain raw nuts and seeds are available at most groumet markets usually in the bulk section, and in almost all health food stores.

[Lynn B]

We LOOOVE granola... but there's only one problem...

Which one to try FIRST??!!! :confused: ;) :) :D

Lynn

[claire797]

Originally posted by Lynn B
We LOOOVE granola... but there's only one problem...

Which one to try FIRST??!!! :confused: ;) :) :D

Lynn

You might want to try a no-fat version first and then try an oil-added version just for comparison. I like the Cooking Thin granola and won't go back to fat-added, but the Cooking Thin granola is packed with sugar, so it's kind of a trade-off.

The one Dibranchia posted looks extremely healthy -- not much sugar and no fat. Thanks for posting! I may give it a try.

[karen w]

DH and I have also tried a bunch of granola recipes over the past year thanks to this thread, but we also keep going back to the Cooking Thin recipe. It's so simple, easy to make, crunchy, and delicious.

Karen

[Beth]

I think I made granola so many years ago I wouldn't know where to begin on these, but I like the idea of trying. I wanted to make granola/trail mix type bars for DS1 to take on his backpacking trip. I want to work on that before they go again in the fall.

[Jill W]

WOW! Where did this thread appear from? It's 11:30 PM and past my bedtime but hope to get back soon to post my Granola recipe, too.

The comment about "clumping" that was made early on in this discussion....a couple here in Naples, NY makes Granola that they ship all over the world. It is on the sweet side and I know it contains eggs and some flour to coat it. Their granola IS clumped together and I'm sure it's the eggs and flour that causes it. Actually, just the beaten eggs alone would cause the clumping depending on the rest of the ingredients wouldn't it? Will be back tomorrow with my "non-clumping" Granola recipe AND to copy and paste the rest of the Granola recipes! This is a real find! Thanks to whoever bumped it up to the front line of reading! :D

[Czarchef]

I used to make Granola every day when I worked at the Thompson Hotel in NYC, We used Honey, Pistachios, Cashews, Oatmeal, butter and fresh vanilla beans (1-2) ,ligth brown sugar, pinch of salt, and sometimes hazelnuts too.

Basically what you do as with any other Granola recipe, you mix all the dry ingredients frist, you melt the butter add it to the mixture along with the hunny and the vanilla bean (watch cuz some are very strong) which can be replaced with good vanilla extract. We used to bake this into parchment lined sheet pans (presss the mix into them) at 350 F. It will buddle alil bit, but within a few minutes your whole kitchen will have a genlty and sweet smell of honey and vanilla. When you take it out at yuor desired doneness let it cool and break into pieces, or while still warm cut into bars. I know this may sound outta the granola bar league but if you cut them thinn while still warm, let them cool and halfway dip them in dark chocolate (55 % works best) youll get a nice treat that you can even give as gift for your loved ones.

Any questions email me at: czarchef19@aol.com


Chef Czar
Pastry Chef/Owner
Chocolate Designs 4 You

[WeekendCook]

Thought I would add a granola recipe that I made this weekend from the January/February 2005 issue of Health Magazine. The calories are high (like many granolas) but it is all healthy stuff (and helped me use up a lot of odds and ends in my pantry!). It was very good!

Everyday Granola

1 cup orange juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
3 cups regular oats
2 cups whole wheat toasted oat cereal (such as Cheerios)
2 cups sweetened puffed wheat cereal (such as Kellogg's Smacks)
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1/2 cup nutlike cereal nuggets (such as Grape Nuts)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsalted soy nuts
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seed kernels
Cooking Spray
1 (6-ounce) package dried cherries
2 (4-ounce) packages dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Heat juice, brown sugar, oil, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved; set aside.
3. Combine oats and next ten ingredients (through sunflower seed kernels) in a large bowl.
4. Pour juice mixture over oat mixture; toss.
5. Divide mixture in half; spread evenly over 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or until dry and crispy, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely; stir in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Yield: 12 cups (serving size 1/2 cup)

My Changes:
1. Used Kashi Heart to Heart cereal instead of Cheerios.
2. Used Kashi Puffed Cereal instead of Kellogg's Sugar Smacks.
3. Used Kashi GoLean High Fiber High Protein Cereal instead of Grape Nuts.
4. Used a mixture of dried fruits that I had on hand.

Per serving: 290 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 6 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrate, 21 grams sugars, 5 grams fiber, 3 mg Iron, 42 mg Sodium, 35 mg Calcium.