I have always loved Granola but it never dawned on me that I could make its deliciousness myself until one of my best friends made some for me, about 13 years ago. And when I partook of that home-made granola, my tastebuds have never been the same… again. If you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty mellow-dramatic about food.
Granola is a great option if you ever want to get out of a cereal rut for breakfast. Parfaits are so yummy or just eat it with milk. I drink Almond milk because cow’s milk hates me. That’s a story for another time. My kiddos love cereal but the cost can add up quickly and it’s not the most nutritious. I aim for balance when it comes to feeding my family. Sometimes, we eat eggs (I love eggs so so much), or cereal, sometimes I’ll make oatmeal, muffins or pancakes. And yes, we do eat lots of cereal too, if I find it on sale, of course. Here is my post about cereal.
I just bought a huge 50 pound bag of old fashion rolled oats at Sprouts for $44.50 ($.89 per pound)
I just bought a huge 50 pound bag of old fashion rolled oats at Sprouts for $44.50 ($.89 per pound). The last time I got it for $.69 a pound and I did a little happy dance after that purchase. However, I didn’t want to wait for the deal this time. That 50 pound bag will last you a while and so it’s a great deal. (I think ours lasted us 3 years… I could be wrong but it was a wicked long time.)
Homemade Almond Cinnamon Granola
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Whole Raw Almonds
- 3-4 Cups Old fashioned oats
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar or just use Honey
- ¼ Cup Honey
- 3 Tbs Coconut oil or Substitute Canola Oil
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Almond Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse half of the almonds until they are very finely chopped (or do it the old-fashion way and chop with a knife). Pour them into a large bowl. Then chop the other half of the almonds coarsely, and pour them into the same bowl.
- In a small microwaveable bowl, combine honey, sugar, salt, cinnamon and coconut oil, and heat for 40 seconds. Stir to dissolve the coconut oil, and add the vanilla and almond extract.
- Pour the oats and the almonds into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the honey mixture over the oats, and stir so that they are evenly coated.
- Pour the oat mixture evenly onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet (helpful if it has sides).
- Bake for 8 minutes, and then stir and spread back to an even layer. Return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. I usually do 7 more minutes.
- Pour the granola and onto a piece of wax paper to cool. Spread it out into a thin layer – about 1/2 inch thick. (I don't always do this)
- After it cools completely, break the granola into clusters and store in an airtight container.
Notes
The best cooking mats!
My husband actually found these years ago when I was using a heat press machine to make T-shirts for our Young Women’s Girls Camp (youth program at church called Young Women). He was browsing Amazon for Teflon sheets and found these babies. I doubted they could be so multifunctional but they are! I used one sheet for making the T-shirts and the other two for baking.
I have been using these teflon sheets for a few years! They aren’t pretty but they do the job. For example, when I use them making granola, the Granola slides right off the sheets, like butter! Maybe that’s a bad analogy. Nevertheless, making granola with teflon sheets is so easier than if you use tin foil. Using tin foil is a sticky nightmare! Also, you can reuse the sheets. On a more negative note, they are annoying to wash. But let’s be honest, washing any dish by hand isn’t the most entertaining of activities.
Products I love!
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