You might say that my culinary career began with a single recipe. Over 20 years ago before I was sucked into the vortex of working in restaurant kitchens, I launched a small business making and selling granola to restaurants, hotels, and gourmet food purveyors in the Los Angeles area. Today I am sharing that recipe with you. I have made a few tweaks since then, but it still delivers the same flavorful mouthfuls of toasty crunch without being too sweet or heavy.
If you do not have access to a natural food store with a good selection of bulk grains, simply replace the grains you cannot procure with additional oats. Dried fruits and coconut add a tasty layer of texture and flavor to the cereal, but with that comes more sugar and fat. I leave it to you to decide if you want to put them in or not. They can always be added on a per serving basis. Regardless, this is a very simple recipe to make and it stores quite well.
| Granola | |
| About 10 cups | |
| For all ingredients, please use those that are organic or grown without pesticides. | |
| 4 1/2 cups | gluten-free rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill) |
| 1 cup | raw buckwheat groats (also called kasha when sold toasted) |
| 1 cup | quinoa flakes |
| 1/2 cup | millet |
| 1 cup | sliced almonds, toasted |
| 1 cup | raw pepitas |
| 1 tablespoon | cinnamon |
| 1/4-1/2 teaspoon | sea salt |
| 1 tablespoon | vanilla extract |
| 1/2 cup | unrefined coconut oil, melted |
| 1/2 cup | honey |
| 1 cup | dried cranberries (optional) |
| 1/2 cup | raisins (optional) |
| 1/2 cup | unsweetened shaved coconut, toasted (optional) |
| Preheat the over to 325 F. | |
| Lightly toast the almonds. | |
| In a large bowl, combine the oats, buckwheat groats, quinoa flakes, millet, toasted almonds, and pepitas. Add the cinnamon and salt. | |
| In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract. | |
| Stir the honey mixture into the oat mixture. Use two large spoons to toss the granola until it is well combined. | |
| Spread the mixture evenly onto 2 baking sheets that have been lightly oiled (oiling the baking sheets is not necessary, but prevents sticking of any kind). | |
| Bake for 10-15 minutes until the granola is a rich golden brown. | |
| Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. | |
| Add the dried fruit and coconut if using. | |
| Store in an airtight container. | |
