Homemade Granola in 20 Minutes!

Erica Zimmelman

Granola is controversial.  Some call it a health food, while others say it’s junk food.  The key to healthy granola is to ensure that what you purchase is not full of hidden sugars and fats.  Even better — make your own. Homemade granola is easy to make. You can personalize it to your tastes and, even better, you can control the sweetness and fat content. The recipe below produces a crunchy granola with a hint of sweetness (perfect for topping on a yogurt), and is a great “base” so that you can customize to include the foods you enjoy. Consider swapping the almonds for your favorite nut, or adding a flavored extract, such as maple. If you enjoy dried fruit in your granola, add the fruit after baking to ensure that the sugars don’t burn.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
4 Tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (I do not recommend substituting quick cooking oats in this recipe)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon wheat germ (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, honey, vanilla, and salt.  In a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, slivered almonds, and wheat germ.  Drizzle the butter-honey mixture onto the oats, and stir to combine.  Spread into a even layer on a large baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Keeps for up to two weeks.

Erica Zimmelman is a personal chef in Bucks County, Pa. To learn more about her services, visit www.tastebuckscounty.com.