Homemade Winter Berry Granola

I love making homemade granola. It's one of those things that's so simple, but which just feels really satisfying for some reason.

It feels like there is something super wholesome and substantive and old time-y about it, straight out of a Little House on the Prairie novel.  I'm not sure why that is; maybe it's the fact that the vast majority of people just buy their granola and other cereals, so to make it yourself feels extra special.

The other cool thing about it is that it's absurdly easy to personalize or adjust. This recipe is really forgiving about swaps.

Prefer maple syrup or molasses or all honey or white sugar or rice syrup? Go for it! They all work. Or skip the spices. Or swap in a different extract (orange or almond would both be lovely).

Add crunchy banana chips or dried pineapple or coconut. Use all cherries or add huge spoonfuls of chocolate chips.

As long as you keep the proportions the same, you're pretty much golden.

I made about 15 pounds of this granola recipe last week to gift as the party favor at the baby shower I hosted for my friend. I filled clear cellophane cones with it, then labeled them all with a homemade sticker I designed and printed.

It was a simple, affordable and crowd-pleasing treat that went well with the rustic winter theme of the party I hosted. Doesn't get much better than that!

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Loved this recipe? Here are three other Granola recipes you might like:

• Spiced Pumpkin Granola
• Homemade S'Mores Granola
• Triple Chocolate Quinoa Granola

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading

Winter Berry Granola
Brown sugar, spice, and dried berries come together to create this lovely winter granola recipe. This takes about 5 minutes to prep, then bakes up easily in the oven. Make a huge batch at a time; this keeps well for weeks and is wonderful as a breakfast, snack or garnish over yogurt or ice cream.

Makes about 12-13 cups of granola

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but awesome)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups rolled oats
3 cups chopped nuts (I used 1 cup each of pecans, cashew, and almonds)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups dried berries (I used a mix of cranberries, goji berries, cherries, and mulberries)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 large baking sheets with coconut oil.

In medium saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, brown sugar, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and salt, whisking until the sugar is melted and it's all very smooth and evenly combined.

In a large bowl (I use a big pot), combine the oats, nuts, and pumpkin seeds, and stir to combine. Pour in the hot oil and sugar mixture and stir well to coat completely.

Divide into the two prepared pans, and bake about 40 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans after about 20 minutes. Bake until golden, then remove from oven and let cool completely. (It will get crunchier as it cools.) Stir in the dried berries and chocolate, if using, then store in an air-tight container, or divide into bags to use as party favors.

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Thanksgiving Favors: Spiced Pumpkin Granola

One of my favorite things about having people over is the excuse to make party favors. I'm not sure why, but there is something about packaging up little-somethings that makes me super happy.

For my party this past weekend, I decided to make a big batch of homemade Spiced Pumpkin Granola and send each guest home with a bag of it.

Homemade granola makes a great favor because it's very easy to make, can be made in huge batches, and keeps well over long periods of time, so you can prepare it in advance.

This granola starts off with plain rolled oats (I used good ol' Quaker Oats for this), mixed with spices like cinnamon and ginger, brown sugar, olive oil, and real pumpkin puree.

It toasts up in the oven until crunchy, and then you can toss it with your favorite granola mix-ins. I chose toasted pecans, shaved coconut, and white chocolate chips.

I was low on time so instead of making individual tags for each baggie, I just displayed a little "Thank You" card near the basket of favors and called it a day.

A simple and sweet favor that will leave your guests with a little bit of extra fun to enjoy after the party ends.

More Homemade Granola Recipes:

• S'Mores Granola 
• Triple Chocolate Quinoa Granola 
• Chewy Hazelnut & Chocolate Granola Bars 

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!   

Spiced Pumpkin Granola
This makes a huge batch meant for favors, and makes about 10 party favor-sized bags of granola. Feel free to divide in half for a smaller amount.

Ingredients
8 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil or melted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, toasted
1 cup dried shaved coconut (unsweetened)
2 cups your choice: white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or dried cranberries (or use a mix!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets (I use baking spray) and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix oats and spices. In a second large bowl, mix sugar, pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Combine with oats and toss until evenly and completely coated.

Divide into two baking pans and spread out into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and return to oven for about 20 more minutes, or until golden (will still be soft, but will get crunchy as it cools). Let cool completely, then stir in pecans, coconut, and chocolate or dried fruit.

For favors: Divide into cellophane bags and seal with a twist-tie.

To store, divide into gallon sized zipped bags and store in a cool dry place. 

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Homemade S'Mores Granola

If you read food blogs (and you're here, so I assume you do), you've probably been seeing a lot of  s'mores posts this week.

Why? Because August 10th is National S'Mores Day--a ridiculous and totally arbitrary holiday invented by the people who sell marshmallows that I've nonetheless decided to honor because I LOVE MARSHMALLOWS!

I'm totally the girl who walks slowly down the marshmallow aisle at the grocery store, squeezing and smelling every bag. (I prefer the smell of marshmallows to the smell of roses. I would one day like to have a marshmallow garden.)

I actually love them so much that I can't buy them because I WILL eat the entire bag by myself in a single sitting. I have zero control.

When I do buy marshmallows for a recipe or party, I have to force myself to hide them in the freezer or in the VERY back of the VERY high shelf. It works...until a few weeks later when I'm hunting around for a can of chickpeas and come across the bag.

At which point I immediately sit down on top of the counter to eat every single one (even better when they're kind of stale or partially frozen...oh yes!).

Marshmallows are totally my kryptonite.

And this granola you see here? Oh geez. I'm in so much trouble.

This stuff is GOOD. It's not just granola with chocolate and marshmallows in it. It's granola that tastes like graham crackers.

Let me repeat that...the clusters of granola actually TASTE LIKE GRAHAM CRACKERS!

The secret here was a result of some nerdiness on my part. I was reading about the history of the graham cracker, and learned that it was originally invented as a health food by Reverend Sylvester Graham, an early 19th century Presbyterian minister.

He loathed white flour with a passion, and developed a special and naturally sweet flour made by using all of the grain. This flour was used to make the plain cookies known as graham crackers.

The original graham crackers were nothing like the cheap things you get in the Honey Maid box today. Most commercial brands don't even use graham flour anymore--just loads of sugar.

You can buy graham flour at health food stores and online via Amazon or King Arthur, but you can also make a version of homemade graham flour by combining white flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ. And I figured out that it's the wheat germ that imparts that graham cracker flavor.

So that's the secret ingredient: I added wheat germ to my granola. When mixed with brown rice syrup [see note at end of recipe], butter, and a bit of brown sugar, the result is an addictive granola that tastes like little clusters of marshmallow-covered graham crackers.

Mixed with dark chocolate chunks, plush marshmallows, and cacao nibs for a little extra chocolate-y touch, the result is an indulgent and unbelievably delicious breakfast or dessert treat.

Eat this on its own, with milk, or in a bowl over yogurt. It's all good!

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

Homemade S'Mores Granola
Wheat germ and rice syrup give the oat clusters in the homemade granola a distinct graham cracker taste. When paired with marshmallows and chocolate, it's the perfect breakfast version of the classic campfire dessert.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup plain wheat germ
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup Brown Rice Syrup (See note below or substitute Golden Syrup, corn syrup, or honey)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
2 cups mini marshmallows (or use large artisan marshmallows and snip them, like I did)
1/3 cup cacao nibs (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir the oats, wheat germ and kosher salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and brown rice syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Stir vigorously a few times to combine the mixture into a thick syrup.

Pour the syrup mixture over the oats and mix well until all the oats are covered with the syrup. Pour the oats onto the prepared sheet pan and spread out into a single layer, dividing the oats into little clumps (like granola!). Bake 10 - 15 minutes, or until oats are golden brown. Set baking sheet on a rack and let cool completely for 30 minutes (they will harden as they cool).

Once completely cool, stir in the chocolate chunks, marshmallows, and cocoa nibs (if using).

Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container or zipped baggie in a cool, dry place.

Note: Brown Rice Syrup (also known as Rice Malt Syrup and Rice Syrup) is a delicious sweetener made from brown rice. Similar in color and texture to corn syrup or honey, it's low on the glycemic index and contains zero fructose, which means it doesn't affect the body's blood sugar levels as dramatically as other sweeteners. It's also really really good, with a mild, almost caramel-like flavor that works beautifully in this recipe. It's available at stores like Whole Foods, online and at health food stores. I urge you to seek it out as it is a really wonderful and versatile ingredient. 

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