Granola is mainstream fare these days, but when mum first made in the early 1970s it was pretty exotic. You certainly couldn’t buy it in the grocery store.
I’m not sure where she came across the recipe – perhaps in an issue of Prevention magazine? – but I’m glad she did.
Mum’s granola was my go-to breakfast throughout my childhood. When I went off to university, Mum would send big jars of her granola in my care packages, and there were plenty of times I’d opt for a bowl over whatever the canteen was serving up.
I’ve tried other granola recipes, but stick with mum’s now. For one thing, it’s less sweet than most, with only a quarter cup of honey for six cups of flakes, nuts and seeds.
That said, I tweak things every batch I make – almonds instead of hazelnuts, coconut oil for sunflower oil, dried blueberries for raisins, whatever flakes I have on hand – it’s always delicious.
Granola
- 4 cups jumbo oats (or half oats and half other flakes, such as barley or rye)
- ½ cup dessicated coconut
- ½ cup wheatgerm
- ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or peanuts are all good)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 3 Tb oil (coconut or sunflower)
- 3 Tb honey or golden syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla (or a ½ tsp cinnamon)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tb water
- 1 egg white, whisked
- 2/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apricots)
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (104°C). Grease two baking sheets with rims.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, any other flakes, coconut, wheatgerm, nuts, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
- Warm the oil, honey or agave, vanilla, salt and water until thin and runny. ( I do this in the microwave)
- Pour the liquid over the granola mixture and mix until everything is well coated.
- Pour over the whisked egg white and mix again.
- Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheets, and cook for about half an hour, or until lightly browned. Stir once or twice during the cooking to ensure that it browns evenly.
- Allow the granola to cool, then tip it back into the bowl and mix in the dried fruit.
- Store in an airtight container.
Ten More Bites 
We, too, have returned to this basic recipe as our default breakfast. I find it keeps better without the dried fruit added and with yogurt and fresh fruit it makes a complete breakfast.