I first made granola nearly forty years ago when we opened “Main Street Bed & Breakfast” in Madison, Indiana, and it quickly became a staple in the hearty continental breakfast we served. It was so popular that it was featured in magazine and newspaper articles on the B&B. Writers loved to tell how guests reacted to the sweet smells as they checked in on days I was making it. “Swoon!” And it was delicious.
For a time, I packaged the granola and sold it at a local shop, The Attic, located two blocks east and owned by my cousin Judy. As our B&B business grew and free time shrank, I could no longer make “extra” granola – I was doing well to keep up with guests’ breakfast needs! After we sold the business, I slowed down production, making it occasionally for ourselves or as gifts.
My original recipe came from the Make-a-Mix Cookery book that I’d bought a good ten years before we moved to Madison and opened the inn. After a few tweaks, this is the recipe I made that was printed in Colonial Homes magazine. It started out on the stove then went into the oven to toast for at least 45 minutes. Luckily it made a lot (10.5 cups) and I doubled it! Flavor, texture, color, crispiness – it was an all around winner.
As time marched on and people’s perspectives on consuming sugars and fats began to change, I started to think about all that sweetened coconut, honey, molasses, brown sugar and oil that I was using in every batch. Gradually I made homemade granola less and less.
Then in 2016 I came across a granola recipe in The Wall Street Journal that looked tasty and promised it used less sweetners than the orginal Eleven Madison Park restaurant recipe that inspired it. This lower sugar recipe required toasting nuts in the oven first, then like my old recipe, combing oil, sweeteners & spices on the stove before toasting the coated mixture in the oven. Toasting time was 30 minutes rather than 45. I made this version for several years, and I really enjoyed using the flavorful dried cherries instead of raisins.
A little over a year ago, I found a new granola recipe! I have a friend who has some health concerns and truly practices healthy eating. She really monitors her cholesterol and minimizes her carb intake. But she told me she missed an occasional “sweet something”, and I thought, GRANOLA! I broke the internet and found From My Bowl’s vegan granola version (no honey) with only a small amount of sweetener (maple syrup) and no oil! Tahini is the magic maker for me. This recipe is quick to make – no stovetop step – and just 20 minutes of toasting time. Totally DELICIOUS! I filled a large jar as a holiday gift for my friend, and she loved it. With just a few tweaks, this is now my favorite granola!
Deliciously Easy Vegan Granola
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Grade A maple syrup
- 1/3 cup Tahini
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1/2 cup roasted & salted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)
- 1/2 cup toasted unsweetened coconut chips
- 1/3 cup Aldi's mix of dried blueberries, cherries & cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Into mixing bowl, add maple syrup, Tahini, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt, striing until well incorporated.
- Pour the oats, almonds, & walnuts into the bowl and combine with the wet mixture, until all pieces are evenly coated. Transfer this mixture to a lined baking tray and press it into a thin, even layer using a spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then remove and use a spatula to toss/flip the granola. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes, then remove. Cool competely.
- Sprinkle the roasted pepitas, toasted coconut and dried fruit over the granola, gently tossing to combine. Remove from tray and store in sealed container. Serve as desired.
The add-ins I use (pictured here) differ slightly from the original recipe, and I like to add them all at the end of the process when the granola is totally cool. The first time I ever made granola, I thought I’d save time and add the raisins to the mixture before toasting. TERRIBLE idea! They ended up as tough little tar nuggets instead of juicy fruit! Trust me, you want to add your dried fruit LAST.
When my granddaughter, Bridget (12 1/2), visited last weekend to kick off her Spring Break, she made her first batch of granola using “the new favorite” recipe. Perfection!
Every year after Christmas, Bridget & I crack all the whole walnuts I’d used as decoration. I put a bag of the nut meats in the freezer for the next year’s baking projects. We were late getting to the cracking this year, so we did that the day before granola making. (I have to say that the freshly cracked walnuts are so much yummier in the granola than the bagged ones from the store!)
It’s always fun to cook with Bridget, from cookies to drying herbs. Now I think we have two annual winter cooking projects – walnut cracking and granola making! Try it – you’ll like it!
