Homemade Granola

Loose Granola Cups

Soft Granola Bars

I LOVE to make the things I use.  I always felt that granola was too difficult to do.  I was wrong.  I tried some a friend made and fell in love.  Now, I love make my own because I can put my favorite stuff in it and make exactly how my family likes it.  I am posting 2 recipes here.  One for crunchier, loose granola and one for soft granola bars.  BOTH ARE DELICIOUS!!!

  RECIPE 1 - Loose granola (pictured above) perfect for a crunch addition to yogurt or a quick dry snack when put in individual snack cups.  Add or subtract ingredients to your liking.

SOLID INGREDIENTS
2 C Steel cut or slow cook oats
1/4 C milled flax seed
1/4 C Chia seeds
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C dried cranberry or raisins
1/4 C chopped dates
1/4 C 60% or higher cocoa dark chocolate
1/3 C sliced almonds
1/2 C shredded coconut

1.  ---Mix the above together in a large bowl.

WET INGREDIENTS
1/2 C Natural organic peanut (or another nut) butter
1/2 C raw organic honey
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract (no imitations here)
5 T real butter or organic coconut oil or combination of the two
***(coconut oil will increase shelf life)

2.  ---Combine above ingredients in a small sauce pan to met together on low heat for a few minutes.  No need to boil, just get combined and pourable.

3.  Pour wet ingredients over mixed solid ingredients.  

4.  Mix together.  Spread on a cookie sheet.  I like to use my stoneware cookie sheet here. 

5.  Press down into pan.
  
6.  Cook at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until it is all evenly browned. 

7.  Let it cool completely.  (It will be difficult to stay out of it at this point, but you must persevere.)

8.  Scoop into an airtight container(s) and no need to refrigerate.


RECIPE 2 - Solid soft granola bars 
Change the above recipe to exactly what follows.

1.  Use 1 C quick oat and 1 C slow oats
2.  Use 2 T butter and 3 T coconut oil
3.  Use smooth natural organic peanut butter
4.  Press firmly into a shallow cookie sheet.
5.  Cook only 20 minutes at 250 degrees.
6.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.
7.  I store these in the fridge to keep them more solid.

Soft Granola Bars