The Gift of Granola

I recently experimented a little bit with making my own granola. It all started because commercial granola, while admittedly (potentially) very tasty, is either loaded with sugar or ridiculously overpriced (I mean, you're mainly paying for oats, which are really cheap, with a few nuts and raisins added...) -or both. After trying the Pure Natural granola and finishing it within a couple of days (it's addictively good and it's one of the healthier ones if you want to buy ready-made granola) I decided to try making my own. It's actually super easy to make granola. The best part is that you can add exactly what you want (and however much you want to), creating your own combinations and leaving out the extra sugar or the stuff you don't like.

                                 

After a few tries, I came up with what I've decided to call Christmas Granola, because it smells festive and Christmassy. Actually, the smell is a dead ringer for melomakarona, which are the traditional Greek Christmas cookies... though this granola is a little lighter ;) I made it as a gift for my dad -I love the idea of home-made goodness as a present! Just buy a nice jar (you can even make a nice label explaining what you put in there for people who have allergies) and stick your edible gift in it!

Christmas Granola 

This granola is healthy, vegan, (refined) sugar-free and can be gluten-free if you buy gluten-free oats. The buckwheat gives it crunch and adds a nutty flavour. The tahini also gives a hint of warmth and nuttiness and, combined with the nutmeg and cinnamon, evokes Christmas in a bowl. A little bit of honey and raisins make the granola naturally sweet -but just enough. I add the flaxseed at the end, because this way they retain all of their good properties.

dry ingredients

270 g oats (the big ones, not rolled oats)

250 g buckwheat (you can substitute for spelt flakes or just add more oats instead)

40 g nuts (I used mixed nuts, but walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts all go particularly well in this recipe)

1 carrot, grated (it works! you can also substitute for apple if you prefer)

wet ingredients

30 g tahini 

50 g sunflower oil 

30 g honey

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg
zest of 1/2 an orange

add at the end

40 g flaxseed

170 g raisins

Instructions

Don't have some of these things? Don't worry, these are the basic pointers for making granola; you can make your own combination using all the things you like -just follow these instructions. Note: Try starting with the indicated oil-to-oats-to-raisins ratio and adjust to your preference.

-First, mix your dry ingredients (oats, and/or any other cereal you like, nuts, seeds, coconut flakes...) in a bowl, and your wet ingredients in another. 

-For the wet ingredients, you need a moderate amount of some kind of fat (sunflower or coconut oil should work well), and maybe some honey or other sweetener if you want. You can add some vanilla, cinnamon or other spices if you want. 

-Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, spread the mixture in a baking tray without pressing too much, and bake  at 180C, turning every once in a while, until it's ready (my granola took a bit longer than 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it!). It should be golden and just starting to get crispy -it will get crunchier when it cools.

-Add your raisins (or other dried fruit) and flaxseed after baking -otherwise they will burn!

-Let your granola cool and store it in an airtight jar or a ziplock bag.