mama urchin

I think a lot of people who eat granola make their own. Everyone develops a certain type they like and a lot of times it’s easier to make that type rather than buy it. Our family prefers the maple syrup sweetened variety of granola but we have a hard time finding any granola that doesn’t contain nuts — Papa is allergic — so making it is almost our only option. What follows is an adaptation of a Fine Cooking recipe where I’ve omitted the nuts. You of course can add them back in if you desire.

6 c dried ingredients (at least 4 cups needs to be old-fashioned rolled oats but the other 2 cups can be chopped nuts or seeds)
.5 c whole-wheat flour
.5 c nonfat dry milk powder
.5 t salt
1.5 c pure maple syrup
.25 c canola oil
1 T vanilla extract

Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well.
In a measuring cup combine the liquid ingredients.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir, stir, stir.
Spray two rimmed baking sheets with non-stick spray — I use silicone mats and just spray the edges of the pan.
Divide the granola between the two pans and spread as thin as you can.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 300′ F for 20 minutes.
Stir and flip the clumps. Rotate the pans.
Bake for 20 minutes more.
Stir again. It may be ready now or it may need up to another 20 minutes.

If you smell the slightest burnt smell get it out of the oven because nobody likes to eat burnt granola.
Let it cool and it will harden/dry. Store it in an airtight container.
If you like to add dried fruit you can add it (about 2 cups) after the baking but around here we prefer to add it as we eat it.

Store Bought Granola = $0.28 per ounce
Homemade Granola* = $0.28 per ounce

(* $3.79 for 13.5 oz. bag granola, ** $0.25 per cup rolled oats, $0.35 per cup Organic Whole Wheat Flour, $2.56 per cup Dried Milk, $4.66 per cup pure maple syrup, $1.00 for the salt, oil, and vanilla)