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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Wicked easy home made granola

Granola is one of those "health foods" that can be really high in fat, sugar, and calories depending on the brand. SO you go to buy the organic all natural stuff and realize you have to sell your first born in order to buy some... So why not make some delicious and nutritious granola at home for cheep?! It really is easy. Mix together your favorite ingredients with a little maple syrup and a little juice of your choice, into the oven to brown and DONE!


(as we like to say... those easy recipes sure do get around!)
Low-Fat Granola
Here is my version that was inspired by Mise en Place who was inspired by Everybody Likes Sandwiches who was inspired by Mark Bittman

6 cups oats, not quick cook
1/2 cup regular, uncooked quinoa
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup almond chunks
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup POM juice
(just realized I didn't type in that I added raisins and dried dates to the granola once it cooled off... SO GOOD!!)

1. Heat oven to 300F.

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add the maple syrup and POM and stir well with a wooden spoon to get everything coated. If you feel that it needs more liquid, add a bit more maple syrup or POM.

3. Spread the mix out into a large baking dish (I needed 2) and bake for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing burns. When the granola appears “golden”, remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an air-tight container.


Looking back I didn't really taste the POM at all, so save it to drink and use another type of cheaper juice instead... It was the only juice I had on hand so that's why I used it.
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24 comments:

  1. chow and chatterMay 26, 2009 at 8:16 AM

    wow its so easy, love it

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  2. AnneMay 26, 2009 at 9:54 AM

    That sounds great, and it doesn't seem hard at all. I'm bookmarking this :)

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  3. Sarah GlovaMay 26, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    That does sound great!! Never would have thought I could make granola :) Good tip on the juice as well; POM is good but expensive!

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  4. Sarah GlovaMay 26, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    That does sound great!! Never would have thought I could make granola :) Good tip on the juice as well; POM is good but expensive!

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  5. MariaMay 26, 2009 at 11:32 AM

    I've never put quinoa in my granola, great idea!! I bet the POM is good too!

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  6. The Diva on a DietMay 26, 2009 at 2:24 PM

    Mmm, what a great idea to use the POM, Steph! I'll bet its delicious. So true about the benefits of making your own granola ... so much better for you!

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  7. stephchowsMay 26, 2009 at 3:21 PM

    It really was super easy! The recipe caught my eye because of the quinoa in it! LOL Seriously though all of those ingredients are things I love!! The only thing missing is pumpkin... hmm maybe I'll try that next time :)

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  8. AnonymousMay 26, 2009 at 3:27 PM

    hey, thanks for visiting my blog!

    i've been looking for a healthy granola recipe forever, since i have a costco-sized box of rolled oats sitting in my pantry. looking forward to making some!

    ReplyDelete
  9. SaraMay 26, 2009 at 3:56 PM

    I love granola, but I never buy it and I never make it. Funny huh? I love the sound of this one, I think I'll try it for my first attempt at homemade granola!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMay 26, 2009 at 4:17 PM

    I love the idea of using POM in this! I have to admit that after a day or two the divine hint of citrus had all but disappeared; I just made a second batch of this granola and even though I used more juice this time around it really didn't make a difference. It's mostly to moisten the ingredients so that they crisp up.

    Glad you enjoyed it! Power to the homemade granola.

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  11. StaceyMay 26, 2009 at 8:17 PM

    Wow, that looks delicious. I love granola to pieces!

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  12. Astra LibrisMay 26, 2009 at 9:30 PM

    Thank you, thank you! I've been intending to make some homemade granola lately for exactly the health/economics reasons you described... and now, like magic, here you have provided me with this incredibly gorgeous recipe!! You rock! :-)

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  13. AnonymousMay 26, 2009 at 11:11 PM

    oh gosh, i LOVE granola. this sounds fantastic! i love everything you put into yours :)

    you have a lovely blog! your pictures are beautiful.

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  14. gagaMay 27, 2009 at 1:27 AM

    Granola is great and homemade is soooo much better than the store bought stuff. Yummy!

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  15. StephMay 28, 2009 at 8:40 AM

    I can never eat store bought granola.. it tastes dirty..haha. Ok, not literally, but just really greasy and coated. Homemade granola is just way too addicting.

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  16. UnknownJune 18, 2009 at 7:59 AM

    Quick Question -- can I substitute something else for the quinoa? Not sure I can easily get it where we live. We've fallen in love with peach & yogurt & granola parfaits and I'm hoping that this granola paired with frozen peaches (graciously donated by a friend) and plain non fat yogurt will be a better option than the one we get when we travel.
    Tx
    Blossom

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  17. stephchowsJune 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM

    Hey Blossom! Great question. The quinoa is basically there for a boost of fiber and crunch, not too much added flavor so if you totally took it out I'm sure it would still be delicious! The great thing about this recipe is you can easily sub out things you don't have on hand. If you don't have POM juice just use a juice you have on hand, for that part it's more about adding a little sweetness and liquid then the flavor. If I took out the quinoa I would probably just add in a little more flax and oats :D Let me know how you like it!! Thanks for visiting and asking :)

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  18. Pilbara PinkAugust 11, 2009 at 1:49 AM

    What is POM juice? Forgive me - I live in Australia ;-) I have been making my own granola for ages but this is different and I am going to try this version too. Love to make my own and know what I am actually eating!

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  19. stephchowsAugust 11, 2009 at 9:23 AM

    Pilbara Pink- POM is 100% pomegranate juice (it's a brand of it here in the states) but don't feel like you have to use it, any fruit juice could work! So use whatever you have on hand or what you'd think would taste good :)

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  20. Pilbara PinkMarch 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    What is POM juice? Forgive me - I live in Australia ;-) I have been making my own granola for ages but this is different and I am going to try this version too. Love to make my own and know what I am actually eating!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Tung In CheekMarch 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    hey, thanks for visiting my blog!

    i've been looking for a healthy granola recipe forever, since i have a costco-sized box of rolled oats sitting in my pantry. looking forward to making some!

    ReplyDelete
  22. SaraMarch 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    I love granola, but I never buy it and I never make it. Funny huh? I love the sound of this one, I think I'll try it for my first attempt at homemade granola!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sarah, The New GirlMarch 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    That does sound great!! Never would have thought I could make granola :) Good tip on the juice as well; POM is good but expensive!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sarah, The New GirlMarch 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    That does sound great!! Never would have thought I could make granola :) Good tip on the juice as well; POM is good but expensive!

    ReplyDelete

Hi everyone thanks so much for stopping by! I love all the comments! :)