Homemade Almond Granola
Homemade Almond Granola
Homemade Almond Granola is wonderful. This was my first time making granola and it’s a whole lot easier than I thought. The recipe makes about 8 cups granola which is perfect served for breakfast, to snack on throughout the day or to add a handful to yogurt. Here are a few recipes to make using granola. Caramel Granola Puffcorn is one of our favorites. Another recipe to try is: Apple Pie with Oatmeal Granola Crumble Topping
Granola
Granola [gruh-NOH-luh] is a breakfast food consisting of various combinations of grains (mainly oats), nuts and dried fruits. It’s often toasted with oil and honey, giving it a crisp texture and sweet glaze. Muesli and granola have become popular breakfast cereals. The German word muesli means mixture. Both muesli & granola can include raw or toasted cereals such as oats, wheat, millet and barley. Dried fruits such as raisins, dried apricots, cranberries or cherries can be added and nuts, bran, wheat germ and coconut are also popular. Ground cinnamon is often added also.
Wheat Germ
What the heck is wheat germ anyway? Wheat germ is essentially the embryo of the berry. It is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and protein. It has a nutty flavor and is very oily, which causes it to turn rancid quickly. Wheat germ is sold in both toasted and natural forms and is used to add nutrition to a variety of foods. Wheat germ oil, an extraction of the germ, is strongly flavored and expensive.
Homemade Almond Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups regular rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 1 cup wheat cereal flakes, crushed
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- In a large greased roasting pan, combine oats, nuts, wheat cereal flakes, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and sesame seeds.
- In a small bowl, stir together almond butter, honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Drizzle almond butter mixture over oat mixture; toss to coat.
- Bake in a 325º oven about 20 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring mixture every 5 minutes. Remove granola from the oven. Immediately spread on a large piece of foil; cool.
- Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or seal in freezer bags and freeze up to 1 month.
Kretschmer Wheat Germ
Kretschmer Wheat Germ is the wheat germ that I’m most familiar with but Bob’s Red Mill, is another brand that you might be familiar with and can be found anywhere. The Mayo Clinic lists wheat germ as one of the “10 Health Foods For Rating Well.” Why? Gram for gram, wheat germ offers a significant dose of vitamins, minerals and protein.
Tiny in size but a nutrient-based powerhouse, wheat “germ” is the part of wheat that sprouts and grows into a new plant. Wheat germ can add a healthy crunch to virtually any recipe, from pancakes to fruit smoothies. Only 50 calories per 2-tablespoon serving.
Health Note:
Chicken breast is a lean protein that supplies amino acids that give structure to the body in skin, cell membranes and muscles. Recent Recipe: Big Batch Sourdough Biscuits