Homemade Chunky Granola

By jsides

Ingredients

• The Dry:
• 2 1/2 Cups quick, 1 minute oats
• 2 1/2 Cups old-fashion oats
• 2 Cups rice krispies cereal
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon seasalt
• The Wet:
• 3/4 Cup pureed peaches (Or any other fruit of your choice; i.e. apple sauce, pears, nectarine, etc.)
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 2/3 Cup packed light/golden brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
• The Crunchy Goodies:
• 1 Cup raw almonds
• 2 Cups raw pecans
• 1/2 Cup unsalted sunflower seeds

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from evelynsantillan.wordpress.com

Preparation

Step 1

Try this recipe out and I’m sure, if you’re a crunch-lover, you’ll be addicted to this granola soon enough!

Method:

Place racks in upper and bottom thirds of oven (I used the second and second-to-last notches). Preheat to 300ºF
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 kinds of oats, rice cereal, cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl combine the wet ingredients: Pureed fruit (I threw 1 1/2ish peaches into the blender real quick and it was the perfect amount), honey, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet mixture mixture over the dry mixture and stir well until everything it cover and there are no more dry spots. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty for this part! Squeeze the oat mixture to add texture and chunks to your granola.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared trays and evenly spread the oats. Make sure to leave space throughout the mixture to allow for circulation and ultimate crunchiness.
Bake for 20 minutes.
While the oats are in the oven and the smell of cinnamon wafts through your kitchen, prepare the extra goodies! Chop nuts or leave them whole if you prefer.
Ding! 20 minutes up—the smell must be amazing now. Open up the oven (ahh! I can just imagine that smell) and stir around/flip the granola all around. It will probably still be pretty light colored and soft at this point.
Divide the nuts evenly and mix them into the oats until well distributed.
Bake for another 20-25 minutes until the oats turn into a golden to medium dark brown. Be careful not to burn the granola or the nuts/seeds! During this time I check on the trays a few times and give them a stir and a flip. I just get so paranoid about burning the batch because I’d definitely be heartbroken if I let all that deliciousness go to waste.
Once the oats have changed colors take the trays out of the oven and leave them to cool completely. The cooling process is very important for developing the super crunchiness of the granola, so be patient! You’ll be rewarded very soon, I promise.