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Go-To Basic Granola


Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oats (I used a multigrain mix of oats, barley, wheat and rye)
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup (you can also use honey or agave syrup)
  • 11/2 cups mixed nuts (I used a blend of chopped walnuts and sliced almonds)
  • 11/2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut chips
  • 1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)

Instructions

  1. Mix all of the ingredients, except dried fruit and optional chocolate chips or chunks, in a large bowl until combined thoroughly.
  2. Spread on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet and bake at 300F for 10 minutes. (Clotilde recommends starting in a cold oven and allowing the granola to bake while the oven is preheating, since the granola doesn’t need to be immediately heated. I thought this was an excellent idea and promptly forgot to do it. Either way works.)
  3. After 10 minutes, stir the granola, making sure to get the edges especially, and put it back in the oven for another 10. Continue to do this until the granola is browned to your liking. (I took mine out after 30.)
  4. Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before adding in the dried fruit and chocolate, if using. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • With these spice amounts, there was a very distinct cinnamon taste to the granola. If you’re cinnamon-averse (which I usually am, though I enjoy it here), start with 1 tablespoon. You can also add other warm spices like ground ginger, cardamom, allspice, ground cloves, etc. I also hate coconut, but the chips didn’t add a coconut flavor — more of a nutty, toasted, slightly sweet flavor. I won’t be eating anything coconut any time soon, but the chips work here, for inexplicable reasons.