Crunchy and hearty homemade granola.
By Shuchi Mittal
Granola, the Cadillac of breakfast in a bowl. 
Although still finding it’s feet in Asia, where rice and noodle based dishes trample the healthier cereal options, Granola is quite the popular morning kick-start in the US. And in my 6 months here, I have understood why. With a plethora of varieties, flavors and methods of preparation, its not only wholesome, but also rather filling. In fact, I can fist up some good granola and eat as a snack when on the move! It’s tasty, fulfills that tiny sweet craving, and is, sadly, better than french fries.
On my trip to Napa we stayed at this gorgeous little B&B, called Inn on Randolp in downtown Napa. They served a wonderful granola for breakfast and I meekishly asked the hosts for the recipe so I could give it my twists and try it when home. This is my version of that very recipe- with lesser sweet and syrups, and a whole lot more nuts. After all, what’s better than a crunch to start the day.
PrintThe Randolph Granola
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Crunchy and hearty home made granola.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup of chopped almonds
- ½ cup of broken walnuts (you can add/substitute with nuts of your choice i.e. pecans, hazelnuts etc)
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds (you can also use pumpkin or melon seeds)
- ½ cup dried cranberries/cherries or raisins
- ½ cup of chopped dried apricots
- ¾ cup coconut flakes
- Zest & juice of one small orange
Syrup:
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl, including the orange juice.
- In a small pot, mix the ingredients for syrup and cook on med-low heat till the liquid begins to boil slowly and evenly.
- Remove from heat, cool slightly and pour over the dry mix. Stir until well mixed.
- Pre heat an oven to 325-degree F. Bake the granola on middle shelf for 1 hour (bake for 30-45 mins if you prefer your granola less crispy), turning the contents every 10-15 minutes so they brown evenly. Watch the edges, as they tend to cook faster.
- Remove from heat, cool and store in an airtight container. Stays for up to 2 months.
- Best eaten with greek yogurt and fresh fruits!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
