Yummy, crunchy breakfast treat. Good on ice cream too.
Wow! I have made this granola 4 times since I found the recipe a few weeks ago. As soon as the family eats it up, I make more. I've changed it a bit each time, after reading all the reviews, and I think I've finally settled on my favorite: I use oats, sliced almonds and sunflower seeds (but no other nuts), whole flax seed, wheat germ (about 1/2 cup each)for added nutrition, plus coconut for sweetness. I up the oil and honey just a bit, plus add a bit of real maple syrup for flavor. I add a combo of regular and golden raisins, but only at the very end (otherwise they burn-yuck!). I bake it on parchment, on a lower temp (about 225) and stir often, every 7-10 minutes. I pulled it off to another pan to cool - trust me, this is a must! And then finally, since we like ours clumpy, as it was cooling, I pulled off bits and squeezed hunks together. I then mixed about half the still warm granola with about 1/3 cup powdered milk. It gave amazing flavor and texture to the finished product. This recipe is PHENOMENALLY good - and versatile and cheap. Wow, what's not to love?
Read MoreTHis recipe was very easy. However, It needed about twice as much honey to get the clumping going on. I also thought the sunflower seeds took the nutty flavor over the top. I made a second batch replacing the sunflower kernals with rice crispies, and doubling the honey. It was perfect then,
Read MoreWow! I have made this granola 4 times since I found the recipe a few weeks ago. As soon as the family eats it up, I make more. I've changed it a bit each time, after reading all the reviews, and I think I've finally settled on my favorite: I use oats, sliced almonds and sunflower seeds (but no other nuts), whole flax seed, wheat germ (about 1/2 cup each)for added nutrition, plus coconut for sweetness. I up the oil and honey just a bit, plus add a bit of real maple syrup for flavor. I add a combo of regular and golden raisins, but only at the very end (otherwise they burn-yuck!). I bake it on parchment, on a lower temp (about 225) and stir often, every 7-10 minutes. I pulled it off to another pan to cool - trust me, this is a must! And then finally, since we like ours clumpy, as it was cooling, I pulled off bits and squeezed hunks together. I then mixed about half the still warm granola with about 1/3 cup powdered milk. It gave amazing flavor and texture to the finished product. This recipe is PHENOMENALLY good - and versatile and cheap. Wow, what's not to love?
Holy Cow. This is fabulous. I followed some other reviewer's advice and made some adjustments. I used about 3/4 of a cup of applesauce and just a splash of olive oil in place of the canola oil. I also increased the honey to 1 cup. I added probably 1/3 cup of crunchy peanut butter to the "oil" mix and added orange flavored crasins to soak while I mixed the dry ingredients. I think the only thing I added to the dry part was about 1/3 cup brown sugar. I baked it all at 275 for about 25 minutes. I took it out and stirred it every 7 minutes and then reset the timer for another 7 minutes when I was done, and I did that 3 times total plus I left it in for about 4 minutes at the end. I dumped both pans onto paper towels to cool before I stored it, and neither my husband or I could keep from grabbing handfuls of it while it sat there. YUM!
Delicious! Don't forget (like I did) to let the granola cool on paper towels; otherwise you'll be scrubbing the cookie sheet for a long time. Will definitely make again.
I make this ALL the time...as soon as I run out I'm back at the store stocking up on supplies to make more. After baking, I add cranberries, golden raisins, coconut, chopped dried apricot...whatever I have. It's just so delicious. I gave away tins of it at Christmas.
This granola is the absolute best I have ever had!!! I will NEVER buy it from a grocery store again, so easy to make and turns out absolutely delicious. I added in some wheat germ, flax seeds and used a locally produced wildflower honey. I would definitely suggest for people to bake the granola on either a sheet of parchment or in a non-stick oven roaster, that way you'll have no problems and won't have to scrape it off baking sheets!!!
Love, love, love it! I've been making this recipe for 2 1/2 years. As soon as it's gone, the family is begging for more. I have tried other recipes now and then, but always come back to this one. I double the recipe for the dry stuff and triple the recipe for the wet ingredients. Makes it a little higher in fat, but it bakes up in nice chunks and tastes super! I also add 1/2 cup of wheat germ and 1/2 cup of ground flax seed for nutrition. Thanks for the great recipe!
Nice and crunchy--like store bought granola cereal. My kids love this in their yogurt. I cut the calories by decreasing the oil to 2 T. (I use olive instead of canola) and adding 1/3 c. applesauce. I also add 1/4 c. wheat germ and cut the cinnamon a bit for my personal preference. I then bake for 20 min. instead of 10 (stirring twice) and add 1 c. mini-chocolate chips after the granola cools a bit.
A wonderful gift recipe--friends and family received it last Christmas. And I've been making it regularly since. Great for breakfast or out-of-hand afternoon snack. I increase the honey to 2/3 cup and mix it with the oil and vanilla before adding to the oatmeal for more thorough combining of ingredients. If adding fruit (dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins), let them soak in the oil/honey while you chop nuts or combine the dry ingredients. Keeps them chewy even after baking.
THis recipe was very easy. However, It needed about twice as much honey to get the clumping going on. I also thought the sunflower seeds took the nutty flavor over the top. I made a second batch replacing the sunflower kernals with rice crispies, and doubling the honey. It was perfect then,
It is very rewarding (and so easy!) to make your own granola! I never buy it premade anymore. I've made this recipe several times and have adjusted it slightly to my preferences. Adding a cup or so of dried cranberries gives it a lot more oomph. Also, walnuts work just as well as pecans. I double the honey and add only a couple of tablespoons of oil, and add extra vanilla. Instead of two baking sheets, it works just as well to throw the whole thing in a big roasting pan, as long as you turn the granola over a few times. It's best to simply monitor the granola in the oven, baking it until it's the right amount of golden for your taste.
I was looking for a granola recipe so that I could stop spending $5 on little bags of granola from the grocery store. This recipe is the perfect solution! My huband loves it, and I make a double batch every other weekend to keep him stocked up. I add it my yogurt for breakfast most mornings. It's so yummy!! I make a few changes: add some unsweetened, very finely shredded organic coconut (from Whole Foods) shredded), add some organic puffed rice cereal, skip the pecans (not a big fan), add 1/4 cup of golden flax seeds, and add a little more honey. I also bake it a little longer than the recipe calls for, just watching for the right light golden color. This might be because I double the recipe and my cookie sheets are nearly overflowing. I can't say enough about this recipe. It's so versatile. You can make it entirely organic if you want, add ingredients, and play around with it for different tastes and textures. I'm so glad I found it!!
This granola is very good. It became crunchy after it cooled, which was what I was looking for. I added only about 3T of oil and about a cup of honey, and I also added about 3/4 cup of coconut and some extra cinnamon before I baked it. I stirred it every 5-10 minutes while baking (I used 13"x9"x2" pans instead of cookie sheets to make stirring easier), and it took about 25-30 minutes at 275 degrees. It browned nicely without burning. I'll be making this again, and I'm looking forward to trying some different variations!
SOOO yummy and so easy. I could have eaten it all! I did let mine cook about 30 minutes total, but keep an eye on it, because it will go from toasted to burnt quickly
I would DEFINITELY give this as a gift!!! Looks great and tastes great. We made this for a road trip and it was great. Doubled the honey (and then some) to get bigger clumps as previously suggested, and half the sunflower seeds, and even that may have been too much. Bought rice krispies but forgot to put them in - I will try that next time! At first when I took it out of the oven, I did not think it was done because it was still loose and wet looking, but after sitting for like 15 minutes, it firmed up and dried out. I was able to break it off in chunks but rolling up the aluminum foil that I baked it on, and pouring it directly into a ziplock bag. If they are still moist, keep that bag open until it dries out before you seal it!! Great road trip food. DELICIOUS!!!
so good! i doubled the batch and gave out as christmas gifts. I agree with some of the others that it could use a bit more honey. I made the recipes as follows, but added some orange zest with the honey/oil mixture. I also mixed dried cranberries, blueberries and raisins after it cooled. I lined my cookie sheets with foil and let it cool on the pan - no problems with clean up!
Great recipe to start with. I use the oats and wet ingredients,, but everything else changes each time. I add whatever add-ins I have on hand. Usually I use lots of dried fruit and some nuts. I also like more cinnamon, so I double that.
This is a great recipe but I did not know that I needed to pour it on paper towels! What a mess. I am still soaking the pan! It would have been nice to know this.
Added wheat germ, flax seed and raisins. Upped the honey, and used a high quality evoo. I baked on parchment for easy cleanup, and It took about 30 minutes (stirring every 7 minutes) to toast to golden brown at 300 degrees. I use this as a yogurt topping most mornings for breakfast. Absolutly yum!
Good- I added some coarse sea salt to give it a little punch and that did the trick. I turned the oven down to 250 after the first 10 minutes, then stirred it every 7 minutes thereafter for a total of three 7 minute stints. It came out perfectly.
This is a great recipe. I omitted the sunflower seeds, and pecans. the first time i made these i used 1/2 cup of honey...my family said it wasn't sweet enough so the second time i used 3/4 cup of honey and 1/4 cup of light brown sugar they loved it that time. It is a great recipe. I also added raisins for my family (i don't prefer raisins). It is great in yogurt...i used greek honey flavor...and also great as cereal....I will definently make these alot.
This was very tasty, the only part of it I didn't really care for was the amount of sunflower seeds in it.
Mine over browned and I was hoping for bigger chunks of granola but it was pretty good for my first time. I liked it alot!
This stuff is amazing! I use 5 c. oats, 1 c of whatever nuts I have on hand, and also add in fresh nutmeg (I add a little more honey and oil since I add in the extra ingredients). When it's done cooling I add in raisins, craisins, and apricots. Perfect by itself, as cereal, or as a yogurt topping!
This recipe is great. My husband liked it so well that he told me to make a larger batch so I could share it with a couple of friends of His. It is such a nice alternative for oatmeal.
This is a very good and easy to make recipe! I like to add 1/2-3/4 cup of craisins/raisins/other dried chopped fruit. This recipe also works wonderfully as a breakfast cereal, just add milk and you have quiet the satisfying breakfast.
This is soo yummy! I made it a few years ago and decided to make it again. Way better then last time!! I made some changes, I doubled the honey to make it stick together, instead of sunflower seeds I added 1/2 cup of walnuts and cut down the pecans to 1/2 cup instead of 1, with the walnuts it was too many nuts. After baking it I put it in a gallon ziploc bag and then added a little more then 1 cup cranberries(I LOVE cranberries in my granola!) and around a cup of white chocolate chips and then shook it up to mix! I also only used 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of canola oil and added 1/3 cup of applesauce instead of so much oil!
love it! I use walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and craisins - YUM! I'm going to add some flax seed next time to add some more to the 'healthy' side of things
This was a really good recipe that's easy to customize to your personal tastes. I added peanut butter based on other suggestions, and changed around my nut/seed combinations to what my family enjoys. With some extra honey and brown sugar it stays chewy and you can keep it in larger chunks for snacking or easily break it up to sprinkle over greek yogurt (my favorite way to eat it). YUM!
This is the best granola recipe. I always double the recipe because we eat it up so fast. I cut the fat by using all applesauce in place of the oil. Smells great when baking. It makes a nice gift too. I just put it in quart canning jar and decorate the top with pretty fabric and decorative cord to tie it up.
:) this is so good! I didn't put in the sunflower seeds, but I doubled the almonds. I replaced canola oil with olive oil. It turned out perfect. It's good for dessert or breakfast, and makes a great cereal!
This was good, I think next time I will add more honey though, I like my granola to have big chunks. And I would also add a little more flavor, maybe some extra vanilla. I also used dried cranberries in mine, that was really yummy.
I prefer granola to be sweeter; I'll probably double the honey or add some sugar if I make it again.
I do love this granola recipe because it is so basic and you can add whatever you want. I added a touch more brown sugar & unsweetened coconut and whole lot of other nuts and it was simply delish!!
Excellent!! This recipe is so easy and good, I don't buy granola any longer!! I add extra cinnamon, less oil and more honey and bake a tad longer for extra flavor and crunch!! Thanks for offering it!!
A very good basic recipe. I would only add that you should cover your baking sheets with parchment paper or foil to prevent any mess and sticking. Otherwise, you'll be trying to scrape granola off of your sheets for a week. Also, if adding nuts, use raw (not roasted) when baking the mix. If you (like me) only have roasted nuts, add them in after baking, but before the mixture is cooled. I also add in raisins and chopped dates at this time. Anyway, it's a very good recipe and you're going to enjoy it!
I love granola and this stuff is delicious! I am not eating processed sugar and the honey works perfectly adding a perfect amoung of sweetness. I added cashews instead of pecans and replaced the canola oil with coconut oil. I put the wet ingredients in a small pot on the stove first. I LOVE this stuff, SO delicious!
I have made this recipe week after week and it never fails! I have to do gluten free and it is so expensive to buy gluten free granola! I have adapted this to be gluten free (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats) I also change up the nuts every time, but I keep the same ratio as the recipe gives. So good! Highly recommended.
This was so easy! I mixed the wet ingredients in a saucepan over very low heat to give the honey a chance to thin a bit and mix well with the oil. I baked it on a cookie sheet with a silicone mat so it didn't stick. After baking I put it on another silicone mat to cool (although it probably would have been fine on the original one).
Very good but consider lowering the temperature to 250 so it does not burn. Next time I will add a little more honey. Try adding some raisins after cooking for sweetness.
I, too, added more honey than the recipe called for. Probably about 3-4T more. I also substituted walnut pieces for the sunflower seeds and baked about 5-8 min. longer than suggested. This is a great recipe. Is delicious with vanilla yogurt or plain with dried cranberries as a snack. Thanks for the great recipe.
I altered it a bit to suit my tastes... used walnuts instead of pecans, omitted sunflower seeds, and added Craisins after cooling the mixture. Delicious!! I love it mixed with vanilla Greek yogurt!
This granola is great in yogurt. I only added a half cup pecans and almonds each and left out the sunflower seeds. All my friends like it, too!
This recipe tastes awesome and is super-easy to make, love it! It's now in my regular rotation.
No one seems to make this recipe as is because it's so basic. Adding coconut changes the recipe completely since it's so sweet. I found the baking time to be highly dependant on the cookie sheet you use, this recipe seems to assume a thin cookie sheet. I had one batch on a dark thin sheet, and another on a thicker aluminum sheet, and the granola was close to burning on the first sheet while still raw on the second.
Very, very nice granola. I bake at 250 degrees for a longer time and add organic raisins and dried cranberries half way thru. I then add flax seeds when its comes out of the oven. It's a real hit with everybody I serve it to.
Couldn't believe how easy it was to make my own granola. Next time, I would use coconut oil instead and bumping up the honey to 1 cup as I wanted more clumps. I baked mine for 25 mins, making sure to stir every 5 mins as I was paranoid about it getting too toasty.
Love this stuff! Smells amazing when baking, too. I usually bake it a total of 40 minutes, stirring it every 10, until it is nice and golden brown.
super delicious! however, i let it cool on foil because my first batch seemed to stick on the paper towels. Also, used just a splash of olive oil and added ground flax seed, maple syrup and a little brown sugar. will make this again!
This was quick, easy and very tasty. I used it on yogurt with strawberries or with milk as a cereal. Nice change of pace.
This was very good granola. I made a 1/2 recipe, to test it, and it did fill the baking sheet I used. I realized the sunflower seeds I bought were seasoned, so I just left them out. I also hand chopped my almonds, and that was fine. I got 6 servings, approximately, with the half a recipe and missing sunflower seeds. I lined the baking sheet with parchment and had no problems with sticking or any issues. This granola is not overly sweet, sticky, or too crunchy like many I have tried. It was fine in milk, but it was excellent on some plain yogurt.
My husband loved this recipe. It's the first thing I've been able to get him to bring to work to snack on instead of buying junk from the vending machine. I also learned that you really do need to spread it out on two baking sheets and add more honey.
Awesome! Made it yesterday, and it's even better today. I did read some reviews, and I did increase my honey to 1 cup, and add a 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I also baked mine for 30 min, stirring every ten minutes.
This is a very good base recipe. I've been replacing butter/oil with applesauce in all my baking recipes and I think it's a nice improvement in this one also. I've added so many variations to this recipe and it never fails!
Awesome granola recipe! I used 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil instead of the canola and accidentally used 1 tablespoon of vanilla instead of one teaspoon. Came out amazing!! I intend to keep using the 1 tbsp from now on! Really good base recipe for granola...I'm excited to start experimenting with it. My husband says he wants this as a staple from now on. That's a lot coming form him!! :)
Love this recipe. I have added less oil and added mashed banana and applesauce. This recipe is a classic because there are so many possibilities to add what you want to it.
Very good! My daughter is allergic to nuts so I left out the almonds and pecans. Instead, I added 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, 1/4 cup of ground flax sead and 3/4 cup of assorted chopped dried berries. I usually like crunchy granola that clumps together. This came out kind of chewy and didn't really clump, but I still really liked it. I cooked it at 275 for 15-20 minutes, mixing once or twice.
great recipe. i added about 1/2 tsp. sea salt and didn't use the seeds. i also used coconut oil - which is pretty solid at room temperature and seems to help the granola clump up better. so easy. thanks for this great recipe - i'll be making this often.
I love this! I like knowing exactly what's in it and I love knowing this is a healthy snack for the kids! (and me) I changed it slightly, I used a jar of mixed nuts and gave them a light chopping. I also don't like TOO overwhelming of a honey flavor so I decreased the honey by about 1/8 cup and added a tablespoon of brown sugar. OH and the nuts and sunflower seeds I used were salted to give just a slight salt punch. This is a hit!
This is a great overall recipe. I tinkered with it a bit to match my tastes: I substitued crispy rice cereal for the almonds, omitted the sunflower seeds, added about 1/2 cup of wheat germ, substituted unsweetened applesauce for the oil, and substituted maple syrup for the honey. I added maybe another tablespoon of honey because I like my granola pretty sweet. Be sure to bake in very shallow layers on baking sheets, though; I tried to be clever and use a cake pan and just dump all of it in there at once, and it took about an hour and a half to brown it all! Next time I make this, I will use two baking sheets with sides.
very nice, next time will add less cinnamon, and maybe some sulatnas once it has cooled
Love love loved it! I just replaced the canola oil with unrefined coconut oil for an healthier snack. It taste great!!
I love this recipe! It is so perfect in yogurt. The only change i made was to use coconut oil instead of canola. I didnt have any canola oil. I also found that i had to leave it in the oven a bit longer to make it really crunchy.. My favorite so far.
I increased the honey to 1 cup. I also added whole almonds and pecans instead of chopping them. I added cranraisins and raisins at to the cooling granola.
This is a great recipe! We have it all the time, and I have never made it the same way twice. You can substitute different kinds of nuts, add coconut or wheat germ, or use maple extract instead of vanilla. It's great as cereal, or sprinkled over yogurt.
I don't often rate recipes, but this one is worthy. If you buy much granola you know it is much more expensive than the sum of its parts. This is not only outstanding, you can pick your nut addition, I don't always have the exact ones and also use walnuts. I also add a 1/4 cup of flax seed for a little health kick without changing the flavor. I have found that baking it works best for me if I stir it every 10 minutes the first couple of times and then drop back to 7 for the finish laps. I bake my until there is a noticeable color change, I.E. it starts to darken. This makes a granola that breaks up easily and stays that way in storage for me.
I substituted the almonds and pecans with flax seeds, sesame seeds and puffed rice cereal. Mine took about 25 minutes to cook. If you add dried fruit, I would recommend waiting until the granola only has about 10 minutes left to cook before adding it. My raisins got a little puffy and hard! Next time I will add more oats as this was very seed/nut heavy, and I will take some of the advice posted here on how to make it stick together better. Mine was very crumbly. But it tastes good!
I have made this several times and it comes out great every time! Like others I doubled the honey and used applesauce instead of oil (with just a small splash of olive oil.) Delish. I also added additional vanilla and cinnamon, since I prefer strong flavors. Overall it is wonderful
The adults in the family loved this! Would use a little more honey to help it stick into clusters and a touch more cinnamon. As for the recipe/taste - wouldn't change a thing.
Very good. I used the reviews as a guide and maybe I should have started with the original recipe and modified from there. It was too cinnamon-y and not quite sweet enough. It also took a very long time to brown up enough. I think sticking to the original would have been a better starting point for me!
Good recipe. The kids and I liked it. A nice break from the other granolas I have made that are a lot more time consuming. I substituted walnuts for the sunflower seeds and decreased the amount of nuts by a little bit so that I could also add 1/4 cup flax seed and 1/4 cup wheat germ. Will make again!
I absolutely love this recipe. I used Agave Syrup instead of honey & oh mama! So good!
I made this first the way the recipe said, but it wasn't very sweet, and I think the temperature was too high. I substituted 1/3 cup maple syrup and 1/3 cup light brown sugar instead of the honey. It was much better. I also added dried cranberries. This is a good recipe, it just needs a little work.
Great granola. Omitted oil and used applesauce and added 1/4 c wheat germ and more honey. Can also add cranberries, raisins, dates and/or coconut-I've added 1 cup of each during the last 10 minutues. I'll never buy granola in the store again. This is so easy to make.
This granola is WONDERFUL!!! I've made it 3 times in the past week. I used applesauce instead of the oil and doubled the honey... I had to bake it a little longer when using the applesauce. SOO good!!
Very good! I followed the recipe and used parchment paper. Next time I'll try some of the additions others have suggested like cashews, raisens and coconut. We're eating it like a snack until I can get some yogurt at the store!
quick and easy granola. we love it in parfaits. I didn't use honey but maple (pancake) syrup as my honey had clumped up. bought quick oats and still worked out fine. a nice crunchy, naturally sweet snack.
I found the cook time listed on this recipe far too long. It was delicious once mixed with other ingredients, but the mixture was very heavy on its own.
I love this recipe and use it all the time. I often modify it to fit the nuts I have on hand, and especially like it with 1 c. of dried cranberries thrown in. Really wonderful.
This was easy and very yummy...much healthier than store bought cause you know what you are getting. I love this recipe cause you can add what you have and still comes out great. Thanks I won't be buying granola at the supermarket anymore
This was very good. I also added applesauce instead od oil. I think it made it more moist. I also added raisens in place of sunflower seeds. But be sure to add them after baking. You wont be sorry if you make this not too sweet and not too tasteless.
This was delicious. I made up a batch to eat with vanilla yogurt and it stayed fresh and crunchy for several days. All I had were almonds and raisins, so that's what I used. I meant to mix in some peanut butter but forgot, so maybe next time I'll do that. Thanks for sharing.
This is a very good recipe. I added flax seed, wheat bran, and a pinch of salt, and it ended up being really delicious. I did end up having to bake it longer than the recipe calls for, however; I think it was about 40 minutes total at 275 degrees. I will make this again and play around with different nuts/fruits to add.
I have made this recipe many times, and its always a hit. I like to substitute coconut for the sunflower seeds.
I was looking for something crunchy to put on the yogurt and fruit I eat for lunch. This wasn't quite it, but with some tweaking I think it might be.
This has been a staple in my home. We eat it with plain yogart and berries or just as it's own cereal. I also like it because it is so easy to improvise. I usally don't buy pecans, however, you can add just about anything (flax seed, sesame seed, coconut. etc.) and it still tastes good b/c there is so much honey. I also sometimes add raisins after it has cooked.
I'm making this recipe once a week for my family. We all love it! I adjust things to add once baked - dried cranberries, raw cacao nibs, flax seeds... I always bake on oil-sprayed parchment paper for ease of removal from the sheet and clean up.
A very forgiving recipe! I subbed wheat germ for the almonds, used roasted, salted sunflower seeds, added about 1/3 c. peanut butter, and sprinkled with brown sugar (just had to). We all loved it. Served with yogurt.
I make this all the time with hazelnuts instead of pecans. I also add an extra cup of oats to make it go a little further, but the recipe is perfect as written.
