Large Batch Homemade Granola Food

LARGE-BATCH HOMEMADE GRANOLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and honey; set aside. Toss the oats, coconut, pecans, and sunflower seeds together in a large bowl. Add the oil mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Pour mixture onto two 13-by-8-inch baking sheets, and bake, stirring frequently, until the mixture is an even golden brown, 20 to 40 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.
• Remove granola from oven; let cool, stirring occasionally. Add dried apricots (or pears), golden raisins, and cranberries; stir to combine. Store in an airtight container.

CHUNKY HOMEMADE GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the old-fashioned oats, quick-cooking oats, whole wheat flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, salt, whole almonds, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, walnut pieces, 1/2 cup coconut flakes, 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
• In a small pan over low heat, add the coconut oil, 1/2 cup honey, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir constantly until coconut oil is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over dry ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon or your hands until dry ingredients are mostly coated. Stir in water until granola mixture is wet and a little mushy.
• Press mixture evenly into prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup honey. Bake for 30 minutes or until granola starts to toast and turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
• Once granola is cool, break it into large chunks and gently toss the chunks with a spatula so the sides that aren't golden brown are now on top. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup honey. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes or until granola is evenly toasted and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut flakes and 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Let cool completely. Store in a jar or bag that's not completely sealed so granola stays crunchy.

GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
• In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
• Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

MOLASSES MAPLE GRANOLA - BIG BATCH! (CAN BE REDUCED!)

Steps:

• In a LARGE bowl, mix oats, flax, nuts & coconut.
• In a second bowl, mix all wet ingredients, including cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar & salt. Mix until blended with spatula or wooden spoon.
• Pour wet onto dry and stir thoroughly. Stir, stir & stir.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line cookie sheets (the sided kind) with aluminum foil & layer granola onto prepared sheets about 1/2 inch thick. Multiple sheets allow cooking to go faster.
• Toast 30 minutes, stirring once.
• Remove from oven & cool (I use another cookie sheet & put 1/2 of toasted mix on it to speed cooling.
• Repeat until granola all toasted.
• When cooled, return to original BIG mixing bowl & add dried fruit of choice & mix thoroughly. Alternatively, leave fruit out & add at serving time (harder for me to remember).
• Bag in amounts that are workable for you & freeze until used. May recrisp 5 minutes in 300 degree oven if it softens with storage.