Admittedly — hot oatmeal is not my favorite breakfast. But, keeping in mind the benefits of increasing fiber in the diet and chasing the cholesterol monster away, it is a mainstay in the fall and winter breakfast lineup. But, when spring arrives — I’m so ready to jettison the gruel for granola topped with a smattering of fresh blueberries or strawberries!
Granola is one of those ‘hippie foods’ associated with the 60s health food enthusiasts tribe. Not surprisingly, over the years granola made its way into mainstream diets and is now a ubiquitous breakfast cereal on everyone’s tables these days. The humble granola has morphed into nutrition bars, toppings for pies and crisps, and even used in fancy layered yogurt and fruit parfaits. We all eat granola. It’s not hard to enjoy. And it comes in many variations — it can be loose like muesli or hunky-chunky nuggets. It might contain seeds and nuts, wheat germ or brown rice, dried fruits, and flavored and sweetened with honey or maple syrup.
I’ve never been much of a Trader Joe’s shopper — not that I don’t like the store, but I have never cared much for ‘convenience foods.’ But, like many during the pandemic, I needed a place to do a ‘quick run’ to pick up a few groceries. While there, a package of their Almond Butter Granola caught my eye and I decided to try it. It was delicious. Big, crunchy clusters of oats with whole almonds — the perfect snack and cereal! And I was intrigued that they had used almond butter as an ingredient. But, whew — it was a budget buster.
Determined, I went to work on recreating it in my own kitchen — and after a couple of tasty experiments, here’s the recipe! This granola version is crispy and chunky. And, it’s very adaptable to your own tastes. Just be sure not to exceed the ‘mix-in’ amount.
Serve granola with milk, a non-dairy milk substitute, or the delicious pourable Swiss yogurt from Schoch Dairy topped with fresh or dried fruit. You’ll find almonds and almond butter available at Minazzoli Farms booth, and local honey at Amen Bee.
Honey Almond Butter Granola
INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup of mix-ins: pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, flax seed, puffed brown rice, etc.*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or a combination of butter and vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 300°. Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut, choice of mix-ins, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk almond butter, honey, and butter mixture until combined and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extract. Pour mixture over the oats mixture and stir using a rubber spatula just until oats and nuts are evenly coated and the mixture appears moist.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the mixture and spread the mixture in an even layer again. Bake another 15 – 20 minutes, or until granola is golden brown.
Allow mixture to cool completely in the baking pan without stirring, for about 1 hour. Break up granola into bite-sized small chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
*If you want to add a combination of ‘mix ins’ do not exceed the 1/2 cup total. If you prefer not to use any mix-ins, add an additional 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats.
NOTES:
Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, or diced apricots are best added when serving to avoid the tendency of these dried fruits to burn.
For a printable version of the above recipe, click here.
