THE FLAVORS ARE SIMPLE in this basic granola, allowing the rich roasted flavor of pecans and the sweet, summery flavor of blueberries to shine. Dried blueberries are available in natural food stores. They make a welcome change from boring old raisins, but raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dried apples can be substituted.
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups dried blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large shallow roasting pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, pecans, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well.
- Stir in the oil and vanilla. Spread out the mixture in the pan.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the granola is golden, stirring occasionally for even cooking. Do not let the granola get too dark, and stir frequently during the final 15 minutes to prevent scorching the granola at the sides of the pan.
- Transfer to a large bowl to cool completely.
- Stir in the blueberries.
- Store the granola in an airtight container. It will keep for about 1 month at room temperature or for about 6 months in the refrigerator.
SERVING GRANOLA:
- Serving homemade granola with skim milk is like serving homemade bread with margarine. Unless you really cannot tolerate the extra fat, give yourself a treat and enjoy your granola with whole milk. I won’t even mention how exquisite homemade granola tastes with half-and-half….
