I have now made my second granola recipe for myself, and I have officially fallen in love with making my granola. I can customize it with ingredients I like, and it is much tastier than what I buy in the store. You also have control over the quantity and quality of what you are using, so you can ensure that you are making a healthy and sensible snack.
When I was a child, I ate nutty granola. I came across this Strawberry Banana Granola a few weeks ago over at our good friend’s place. Even before I made it, the original recipe had won an award in my book.
This granola turned out so well. You create a puree of fruit that you mix with the granola ingredients, and then you bake the mixture low and slow until the oats are soaked up all the liquid. Added to the richness of the nuts, this adds a lovely subtle fruity flavor, which is then balanced out with a few dried cherries.
In addition to scaling down the recipe (the original recipe makes a lot) and lightening it, I also eliminated refined sugar. You should note that you should not use more liquid than called for in this recipe. Granola will burn if too much liquid is added before it is absorbed, so that you will have burned and soggy granola. My first burnt and soggy batch went straight into the trash after I made this granola twice.
Strawberry Banana Granola
Half a banana
Strawberry 1/4 cup
Honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
Two tablespoons of water
Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
To taste, freshly grated nutmeg
Oats, 3 1/2 cups
Ground flaxseed, 1/4 cup
Pecans, 1/2 cup
Walnuts, 1/2 cup
Dried cherries, 1 cup
Preheat the oven to 300°F
Blend the banana, strawberries, honey, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a blender until smooth.
Mix the remaining ingredients, except for the dried fruit, until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Combine the fruit sauce with the oat mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
Stir about every 15-20 minutes during the baking process.
Add the dried fruit after the mixture has cooled—place in an airtight container.