I made granola years ago. I made it using a recipe from Make-A-Mix Cookery by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward & Madeline Westover. They authored another book, More Make-A-Mix Cookery; it was equally as good. Those two books helped me so much during the hectic time of teaching, going to school to complete a masters and feeding a family. If I was late for dinner, my husband or the children always knew there was something in the freezer to put together quickly.
There was always a mix for meat, vegetables or fruit, ready to quickly make a meal. Every few weeks, I would spend an entire weekend filling the freezer and cabinets with mixes such as Quick (baking) Mix, Braised Beef Cube Mix, Ready Hamburger Mix, Meat Sauce Mix, Meatball Mix, Chicken Mix, Garden Vegetable Mix, Granola Mix, Hot Chocolate Mix, and the children's favorite, Marie's Fruit Cocktail Mix. Those books are still available on Amazon.
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| The baked granola. |
There have been changes in the way I make granola; all the ingredients have to be gluten free. It isn't always possible to find gluten free ingredients I want for the granola. Gluten free rolled oats are more easily found today. I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free rolled oats. But sometimes the seeds are processed in a facility that processes wheat. I no longer use wheat germ but gluten free oat bran can substitute. When I can't find the ingredients in the grocery store for the granola, I order them online. Expensive? Yes, but so is the commercially made gluten free granola. Also, the majority of packaged granolas contain some form of rice which is not good for my diabetes and kidneys. Also, I now try to to lower the sugar content of the granola.
I really like granola on my homemake yogurt. I make yogurt using this method. So, I promised myself that I would start making my granola again.
There are hundreds of recipes for granola in books and on the internet. My daughter made a granola using pumpkin puree and it was fantastic. I decided to give it a try. I had some sweet potato puree left over and used that rather than pumpkin puree. Worked out fantastically!
I used some ingredients that I never used in the 80's. They were pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sesame seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, oat bran, sugar free maple syrup, Truvia brown sugar blend, and coconut oil. Could have used molasses, as in the former recipe, but chose to use the sugar free maple syrup and Stevia brown sugar this time. I used flaxseed meal and oat bran, which is optional, but they add more nutritional value to the granola.
Making the granola is a morning project for me. I had to rinse and dry the pepitas because I could not find them gluten free -- not processed in a facility that processes wheat. I put them in a colander, rinsed them with running water and put them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes to dry. When they are dry, they start popping. If I am not in a hurry and can plan ahead, I dry them in the dehydrater. They may not have had gluten on them but I no longer take chances. The rinsing seems to work.
Then I started on the recipe. (Oh, I threw in the gluten-free Cheerios to see what would happen. They work out great!)
Granola Gluten Free
Ingredients:3 cups gluten free rolled oats, quinoa flakes or combination
1/2-1 cup coconut chips
1 cup raw or roasted nuts, such as pecans, sliced almonds, walnuts or combination
1/2 cup raw seeds, such as sesame, chia, sunflower, pepita or combination
2 to 4 tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional)
2 tablespoons oat bran (optional)
1/2 cup or more gluten free Cheerios (or any flavor of Chex gluten free cereal)
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or 1 tbsp Truvia Brown Sugar Blend or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup (for less sugar, use sugar free maple syrup)
3 tablespoons honey*
1/3 cup pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree
* Rather than use the maple syrup and honey, can use 1/3 cup honey or 1/3 cup maple syrup
Remember all ingredients should be gluten free, including spices.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250℉ or 300℉. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the oats, quinoa flakes, flaxseed meal, oat bran, nuts, seed, coconut chips, Cheerios (if using), and spices in a large bowl.
3. In a microwavable container, combine salt, sugar, oil, maple syrup, honey and pumpkin puree. Stir with fork or whisk for a second or two. (It will not combine completely until heated). Microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk or stir with fork. Repeat until the mixture is warm and will almost combine. The melted coconut oil will, most likely, continue to float on top.
4. Pour the puree mixture over the dry ingredients and toss with a spoon until everything is coated.
5. Spread the granola evenly into the baking sheets (or bake in 2 or three batches) and bake 30-40 minutes. Stir every 10-15 minutes, carefully bringing the back granola to front or turn pan. The granola should turn golden brown in about 30 minutes. It may not be crisp; it will become crisp as it cools. Cool in pan on a cooling rack. Continue process until all granola is baked.
6. If the chopped fruit is sticky, dry in the oven for 10 minutes at 300℉. It should be drier but if still a little sticky, toss in 2 teaspoons Stevia in the Raw or 2 teaspoons powdered sugar. Then toss with the granola. Store in airtight container. The granola should keep about 2 weeks.
If this granola doesn't appeal to you, there are many recipes for granola in the resources below. Some of those recipes are very simple, with fewer ingredients. Find one you like and make granola. Homemade granola is great!
Resources:
Eliason, Karine, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover. Make-a-mix Cookery: How to Make Your Own Mixes. Tucson, AZ: H.P., 1978. Print.
Eliason, Karine, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover. More Make-A-Mix Cookery; Tucon, AZ: H.P., 1978. Print
Fenster, Carol Lee. Gluten-free 101: Easy, Basic Dishes without Wheat. Centennial, CO: Savory Palate, 2003. Print.
Green, Amy. SS & GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten-free: 180 Easy and Delicious Repices You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses, 2011. Print.
"Healthy Pumpkin Granola | Minimalist Baker Recipes." Minimalist Baker. N.p., 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://minimalistbaker.com/pumpkin-maple-pecan-granola/>.
"How To Make The Best Granola Ever." BuzzFeed. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/how-to-make-the-best-granola-ever#.lfqbZyXjp>.
"Let's Make Granola." Mother Earth News. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/lets-make-granola-zbcz1412.aspx>.
McLay, Brooke. Almonds Every Which Way: More than 150 Healthy & Delicious Almond Milk, Almond Flour, and Almond Butter Recipes. Boston, MA: Da Capo, 2014. Print.
Shepard, Jules E. Dowler. Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-free, Allergy-friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy. Cambridge: Da Capo Lifelong, 2010. Print.
"Which Rice Has the Least Arsenic? - Consumer Reports." Which Rice Has the Least Arsenic? - Consumer Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm>.
