Granola With Raisins, Apples & Cinnamon
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Homemade granola with rolled oats, bran flakes, slivered almonds, dried apples, and golden raisins bound with honey and applesauce. A low-fat, cinnamon-spiced breakfast cereal ready in under an hour.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
6 minCOOK
40 minREADY
50 minHomemade granola done the smart way, with applesauce standing in for the usual oil to keep the fat count low without sacrificing the crunchy clusters everyone fights over. A simple bath of honey, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla, and a full tablespoon of cinnamon coats old-fashioned oats and bran flakes, then everything toasts together until golden and fragrant.
Toasting the almonds first is worth the extra step. Ten minutes at 325°F (160°C) turns them fragrant and deeply flavored before they get added to the cooled granola later. Toasting them with the rest of the mix would let them over-brown during the longer second bake.
The trick for cluster-forming is to resist the urge to stir too much. Toss the wet and dry together with your hands, leaving the mix in loose clumps rather than spreading it flat and breaking it up. The clumps harden as they cool, giving you craggy, crunchy pieces that store-bought granola rarely delivers. Dried apple pieces and golden raisins stir in at the very end so they stay chewy rather than hardening.
Kitchen Tips
- Use unsweetened applesauce, not sweetened. Sweetened applesauce tips the mix too sweet and burns faster in the oven.
- Stir only every 10 minutes or so during the 30-minute bake. Too-frequent stirring breaks the clumps apart.
- Let the granola cool completely on the pan before transferring. It continues to crisp as it cools, and warm granola is chewy.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. The clusters soften fast in humid kitchens.
Variations
- Swap almonds for pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for a different nut profile.
- Use dried cranberries, blueberries, or chopped dried apricots in place of raisins for different fruity notes.
- Add a quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom or nutmeg to the spice mix for more complex warmth.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
Raise the temperature of the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the oatmeal and bran flakes.
Stir to mix well.
Add the honey mixture and toss with your hands.
Don’t break the clumps apart.
Spread the cereal mixture evenly onto a baking sheet.
Place in the oven and, stirring occasionally, bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the cereal mixture, toasted almonds, apple pieces and raisins.
Cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
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