Nutty Granola

I love yogurt.  My favorite lately has been Greek yogurt, which rocks so hardcore because not only is it loaded with protein, but it also needs no sugar added (yep, even plain no fat Greek yogurt).  One day, I'll try making yogurt.

But for now, I was thinking about things I could mix into my yogurt.  GRANOLA!  I've seen so many times that it's so easy, but am only just now getting around to it.



I looked high and low for a recipe that would use things I have in the house.  Many included wheat germ or other stuff that I didn't feel like buying, but Elly had this version of an Ellie Krieger recipe and it looked perfect!

I have two kinds of oats right now:  Quick cooking and Steel cut.  From the bit of research I did, quick cooking oats aren't good for granola, but I found here that steel cut oats will work.  Mind you, I've had these steel cut oats in my cabinet for so long, but have never tried them, largely because I'm overwhelmed at how long they take to cook.

I tossed in some pecans, but they are old and didn't look so hot.  I picked out what I could and replaced with chopped peanuts.  I also had some Craisins on hand, so used those too.  The  only ingredients I measured were the oats, syrup, honey, and spices.  I eyeballed the nuts and used about half a handful of the dried fruit.

So, here's my version, adapted from Elly Says Opa, Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Nutty Granola

Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Makes 9-10  1/4 cup servings
1.5 cups steel cut oats
1/4 cup unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts,  coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup Craisins
Preheat the oven to 300 and spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well to  be sure everything is coated with the syrup and honey. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden  brown. Let cool completely before storing.


The verdict on this is that this is pretty crunchy.  It reminds me of a Nature Valley granola bar.  I'm sure it's because of the oats I used.  I'm not quite sure if I like it.  I do wonder how it would work with the quick oats, and maybe I'll try it that way one day, but steel cut oats might not be the way to go in granola.