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Granola for Every Season

The basic recipe starts with these proportions of oats, nuts, oil, salt, egg white, and sweetener. It’s very forgiving, however, and flexible in terms of the additional ingredients. The recipe can be doubled.
Course Breakfast and Brunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 24 1/4 cup servings
Author Marlene

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1-1 ½ cups coarsely chopped nuts of your choice (Notes 1, 2)
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut chips
  • ¼ c . ground flax seeds or wheat germ (optional)
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds (optional)
  • 1-1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Note 3)
  • ¼ cup oil (olive, canola, melted coconut oil) or melted butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (Note 4)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 1 lightly beaten egg white (Note 5)
  • ½ - 1 cup chopped dried fruits (Note 6)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Mix dry ingredients—oats, nuts, seeds/wheat germ, coconut chips, salt, cinnamon or other spices—in a large bowl.

  3. In a measuring cup combine oil or melted butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar and stir well.

  4. Add liquids to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in egg white.
  5. Press mixture very firmly into prepared pan in an even layer.
  6. Bake without stirring for about 30-40 minutes, rotating the pan at 20 minutes. Check at about 25 minutes to make sure it’s not getting too brown. Continue baking until light golden brown.
  7. Cool in pan for about an hour before breaking into clusters.

Recipe Notes

1. Options include coarsely chopped almonds, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, and pistachios. Hand-chop them for the best texture. Feeling lazy? Reach for the slivered or sliced almonds.
2. If desired, toast the nuts a bit while the oven is preheating and you are mixing the other ingredients. Watch them carefully do they don’t burn. I’ve had to throw out more than a few batches I did in the toaster oven.
3. Other spices and flavorings to consider include ground ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and orange zest.
4. Agave or honey are good, too.
5. About ¼ cup liquid egg whites from a carton equals one large egg white.
6. One of my favorites combinations is cranberries and chopped crystallized candied ginger. Raisins, dried apples, apricots, banana chips, figs, blueberries, cherries, and dates are other possibilities. To go tropical, choose from dried mango, papaya, pineapple, and macadamia nuts.
7. For a gluten-free version, use GF oats and sweeteners.