By Matt JabsOnce you make your first batch you’ll be hooked by the taste, the simplicity, and the price. We were! This is a very easy and rewarding baking project, so little effort for such a yummy result.
Homemade granola ended our quest for the perfect breakfast
For the majority of 2009 mornings the Jabs household has been eating a yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit breakfast. We started with store bought yogurt but quickly moved to homemade kefir instead (kefir is the healthier sibling to yogurt). We also moved quickly from store bought blueberries to picking our own local, organic blueberries.
For awhile now the last store-bought holdout has been our granola. Then I received this email from reader Teresa W:
“I found your site while searching for homemade detergent (which is great), and I notice you and your wife eat the same breakfast my husband & I eat every morning, (we are addicted). I thought you might want my recipe for homemade granola (healthy w/ no oil) Yummy, and cheaper than store-bought. We make our yogurt as well – it’s also much cheaper than store purchased. Let me know, God Bless your Ministry.” ~ Teresa
I was like… “Uhhhh yeah! Bring it on Teresa.” She did… and the results have been awesome!
Homemade Granola Recipe
(Adapted from Teresa’s recipe)
Cost = approximately $1.50/batch (at time of writing)
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole rolled oats (buy rolled oats here)
- pinch of sea salt (buy sea salt here)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (buy cinnamon here)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup (buy maple syrup here)
- ¼-½ cup shaved coconut (buy organic shaved coconut here)
- ¼ cup nuts & seeds – Use whatever you have on hand. We use almonds and flax seeds, but pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pecans would also be great.
Butter a large cookie sheet or bar pan with sides that allow you to stir the mixture. Preheat oven to 300°. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly (will be slightly wet). Spread into single layer on buttered pan and bake for 15 minutes. Stir contents, arrange in single layer again, and continue baking for another 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden. Allow to cool. Granola will be crunchy when cooled.
I you like, after cooling you can stir in dried fruit like cherries, raisins, cranberries etc.
Store in glass jar for optimal freshness.
If you double the recipe make sure you use a very large baking pan so the layer will still be thin enough to get toasty. Also… bake at 300° and not higher. This allows the granola to bake slowly and get toasty and crunchy.
– print this recipe –
Once you prepare, bake, and taste this heavenly snack… you’ll be kicking yourself that you have not been making your own granola all along. We did!
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Love your website! I have now switched from store brand laundry detergent to homemade AND love this granola recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the encouragement Susanne, and for letting us know you’re making the switches… I LOVE hearing that!
Love all your information on homemade stuff! Just started making our own yogurt and granola (oh yes, drool, yum). Instead of honey, we use about a half a cup of applesauce (sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the texture). It’s delicious and lower calorie while still giving you that granola-y crunch. 🙂 We love walnuts and cinnamon, a touch of vanilla and nutmeg in ours.. And I can’t convince the hubby of coconut. Shame! 😛
I haven’t had granola in so long because it’s just too expensive (or it’s afforable and gross). I live on a military base in the middle of the Mojave desert, though. We have only the commissary on base or a Walmart 45 minutes away. I really hope i can find all these ingredients I would LOVE to try this.
Very Interesting Blog! Thank You For Thi Information!
Thank you so much for this recipe- it couldn’t be more simple or delicious. We have lots of allergies, so to customize this without preservatives is a great benefit for us! Thanks!
I am so happy I found your site! I read all of your recipes 2 nights ago and became very ambitious! I have already made, tryed and loved the laundry detergent, toothpaste, deodorant and granola! I am anxiously waiting for my citric acid to arrive so I can try the dishwasher detergent! I made the granola today, but instead of using honey and syrup, I used 3/4 cup Agave nectar. Delicious and I believe less calories! Just wanted to share and say thank you!
I like the recipes on this site and would love to see more… what about the yogurt recipe you said would be coming?
I love this recipe. I too had been looking for a good-for-you-easy breakfast and this is it!! The amazing thing that I discovered was that I didn’t get hungry as early as I did when I’d eat bagels w/ light cream cheese, or flax seed waffles (no syrup). My 2 adult kids live with me and they both can’t get enough. Thanks for posting this. YUMMMM!!!
Hey Matt! I love homemade granola too. I just made my second batch of it last week. However, since the oats and nuts have phytic acid in them, they should be soaked so that they are easier to digest. Check out Kara’s recipe for granola at: http://goodlookingcook.blogspot.com/2009/09/feel-good-granola.html
It takes a little longer but the extra nutrients you’ll get are worth it.
Enjoy!
I’m excited to try this recipe. When you say “shaved coconut” is that the sweetened stuff in the baking aisle? Or should I be looking for something else?
Thanks!
Thanks for the fantastic recipe, Matt! I also love your blog. It’s inspired me to set some budget goals for the first time.
I’ve made the granola twice already and it’s a big hit. I stocked up on Quaker Old Fashioned oats, which luckily I found out are the small thing as rolled oats, and a jug o’ maple syrup at Sam’s Club yesterday, so I should be able to keep my granola-addicted husband supplied 🙂
.-= Elizabeth May/DIY Mom´s last blog ..DIY Mom Does Christmas Applique =-.
Awesome Elizabeth. It’s delicious isn’t it! And so easy and cheap too – we love it, glad you do too.
Yummy! Granola is one of my favorites! I usually purchase Canola Farms version and it so expensive. I’m looking forward to making my own and saving money. Super combination. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve been making homemade granola for some time but have never made a version without oil/butter like this, I’m due to make more and look forward to trying it. I have to make a couple varieties to please my family, some don’t like dried fruit or coconut, etc. But the great thing is it is very versatile that way. I also add ground flax and wheat germ to my mix before baking. They’ll never know!
Hey Laura: FYI, my wife tried this without buttering the pan (accidentally) and found that as long as she stirred the granola up right after it came out of the oven the 2nd time (before it cools), she didn’t even need that butter!
Matt – it’s good to know that you don’t HAVE to use butter because I am extremely lactose-intolerant! Thanks for sharing your outtake! 🙂
You’re welcome Cameron! God bless.
I just saw this post after the breakfast post. I love making granola too, but I wasn’t sure how much cheaper it was. But if you say it is, then I’m going with that! Thanks
.-= Michelle Traudt´s last blog ..10 Item Challenge =-.
If you find your stuff is too expensive, experiment with a few different (cheaper) ingredients until you find the recipe that fits perfectly to your taste buds and your pocketbook! 🙂
I usually buy the steel cut oats (if not using the quick oats), would they work as well in this? Or should I stick with the rolled oats?
The recipe itself sounds so yummy! I can’t wait to try it tomorrow!
I would assume STO will work as long as they’re not much thicker than rolled oats – if they are you may just have to bump up the cooking time. Let us know how it goes.
I finally tried it with SCO, and not so great. The oats didn’t “cook” through all the way. I’ll try with regular oats soon!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Some recent pages =-.
Matt, I love granola – I can’t wait to try this out!! Thanks!!
Go for it Bob… it is so simple and crazy good!
Ha! How funny – the Mrs. just posted her recipe too. Since she started making her own, she’s never gone back.
The coconut sounds great – If only I could get her to put it in ours (she’s not a fan)
.-= Mr. Not the Jet Set´s last blog ..Homemade Granola Recipe =-.
Oh man… the coconut and the almonds make ALL the difference. Have her make you a special batch.
I moseyed over to your site to check out her recipe – looks really good. How crazy that we both posted ours on the same day. Ha!
The planets must be in alignment…. ha!
I’ll have to twist her arm on the coconut – haven’t had it in ages. And having it toasted…. drewwwlll
Thanks for the kind words. I’ll let you in on a little secret on her recipe: Use fresh ground nutmeg. Takes it to a whole other level.
cheers!
.-= Mr. Not the Jet Set ´s last blog ..The Big Birthday Lesson: A new tradition =-.
OH YEAH… the wife & I always try to use the fresh stuff. Be it ginger, garlic, nutmeg, basil, parsley, cilantro, etc… fresh is always best. I think I’ll try adding a little fresh nutmeg to our next batch.
Mmm, sounds tasty.. I will have to give it a go. Sounds easy enough even I can do it.
.-= Kyle´s last blog ..My Identity may have Been Compromised =-.
Dude – it’s so easy. I double dog dare you to give it a shot.
Can I get a witness please?? That was in fact the dreaded double dog dare. Sorry Kyle… you have to make it now! 😉
I always need new recipes so thanks. Got any simple quick and easy dinner ones?
Ha ha, not on DFA but I have a ton at home – I love to cook. Email me and I’ll be glad to hook it up.
My wife was excited when she saw this post. We live overseas and cannot find many things in the store, but everything on the list is available at our rural third world store. We even get to use fresh coconuts. I’ll let you know how I like it when the chef has finished her work.
.-= Craig @ Money Help For Christians´s last blog ..What Credit Card Features are Important to You? =-.
Your family will love this Craig… so simply yet soooo delicious! Enjoy man.