Crunchy Granola

By bakers_delight85

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or cider
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. honey, warmed
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, almond oil, or vegetable oil

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter or oil a baking sheet. Stir the oats, almonds, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, oat bran, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger together in a large bowl. Whisk the apple juice, honey, vanilla, and butter together in a small bowl. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, then toss well to mix. Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, stirring the granola well every 15 minutes, until its a shade browner than it started and dry to the touch. (It will become crisper as it cools.) Cool on the baking sheet, break up any large pieces, then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

(To create your own special granola blend, consider adding 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/4 to 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1/4 to 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels, several Tbsp. of orange or tangerine juice, or other favorite flavors. Dry ingredients go in at the same time as other dry ingredients and wet ingredients with other wet.)