Today, I am sharing my recipe for Clumpy Almond Butter Granola. Homemade granola is so easy to make and customize to individual tastes. So long as you keep the proportions of ingredients, substitutions are perfectly acceptable.
For example, my recipe calls for 3/4 cup of dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries; however, if those don’t strike your fancy, substitute the same quantity of raisins and/or chopped dates, for example. I don’t include nuts in my granola but, if they are your taste, but all means substitute them, in the same quantity, for one of the dried fruits called for in the recipe.
I wanted this granola recipe to be crisp and clumpy, not silky fine with each ingredient separated individually. In order to get a clumpy texture, there needs to be some binders added to the mix to get the ingredients to stick together. In this case, I am using a combination of almond butter, maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, and an egg white which has been beaten till frothy. The other trick to getting clumpy granola is to refrain from stirring it while it bakes or cools. If the granola starts to brown too quickly in the oven, instead of stirring it, rotate the baking sheet and/or reduce the oven heat.
The basic structure of any granola recipe is simply cereal, oil of some kind, and sweetener. The typical cereal is large flake rolled oats. Various kinds of oil can be used – I like to use coconut oil. For sweeteners, I typically choose maple syrup but have also included honey in this recipe along with almond butter, all three of which also provide flavour in addition to the spices. The addition of mix-ins (i.e., dried fruits, berries, nuts, chocolate, etc.) are purely personal taste.
I like granola as a cereal, topped on yogurt, as a snack and, heck, I even toss some on my salads to add a crunchy texture and flavour boost!
[Printable recipe follows at end of post]
Almond Butter Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups large flake rolled oats
1½ cups puffed brown rice cereal
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1½ tbsp ground chia seeds
¾ cup dried coconut shavings
¾ cup dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries (or a combination of two or three)
2/3 cup golden raisins
½ cup hemp hearts
1/3 cup dried apricots
¼ cup dried pineapple
1/3 cup dried papaya
½ cup coconut oil
6 tbsp smooth almond butter
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
¼ tsp nutmeg
Pinch ginger
Pinch salt
1 extra-large egg white
Method:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil. Spray lightly with cooking oil.
Combine rolled oats, puffed brown rice cereal, ground flaxseed, and ground chia seeds in large bowl.
In separate large bowl, combine cranberries, cherries, and/or blueberries along with the raisins, hemp hearts, apricots, pineapple, and papaya. Set aside.
In small saucepan, combine coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, spices, and salt. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture is well blended and heated. Do not boil. Pour over rolled oats mixture and stir.
Beat egg white until frothy. Pour over rolled oats and syrup mixture. Stir to coat mixture with the egg white.
Spread oats evenly in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until oats are a deep caramel color and start to get crispy and fragrant. Do not stir during the baking. If granola starts to brown quickly, rotate the baking sheet in the oven and/or reduce the heat. Add coconut shavings to oats during the last 5 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool for 20-30 minutes then transfer toasted oat mixture to the large bowl containing the dried fruit. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Store granola in airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days or store in refrigerator for longer use.
Yield: Apx. 8 cups
Clumpy Almond Butter Granola
A crunchy and lightly spiced granola made with almond butter, maple syrup, and honey
Ingredients
- 2 cups large flake rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground chia seeds
- 3/4 cup dried coconut shavings
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries (or a combination of two or three)
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup hemp hearts
- 1/3 cup dried apricots
- 1/4 cup dried pineapple
- 1/3 cup dried papaya
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 6 tbsp smooth almond butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- pinch ginger
- pinch salt
- 1 extra-large egg white
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil. Spray lightly with cooking oil.
- Combine rolled oats, puffed brown rice cereal, ground flaxseed, and ground chia seeds in large bowl.
- In separate large bowl, combine cranberries, cherries, and/or blueberries along with the raisins, hemp hearts, apricots, pineapple, and papaya. Set aside.
- In small saucepan, combine coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, spices, and salt. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture is well blended and heated. Do not boil. Pour over rolled oats mixture and stir.
- Beat egg white until frothy. Pour over rolled oats and syrup mixture. Stir to coat mixture with the egg white.
- Spread oats evenly in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until oats are a deep caramel color and start to get crispy and fragrant. Do not stir during the baking. If granola starts to brown quickly, rotate the baking sheet in the oven and/or reduce the heat. Add coconut shavings to oats during the last 5 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool for 20-30 minutes then transfer toasted oat mixture to the large bowl containing the dried fruit. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Store granola in airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days or store in refrigerator for longer use.
Yield: Apx. 8 cups
Recipe Notes
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For other great granola recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:
Pumpkin Spice Granola
The Bistro’s Great Nut-free Granola
You might also enjoy these muffin recipes that call for granola as an ingredient:
Deli-Style Gluten-free Rhubarb Granola Muffins
Best Zucchini Granola Muffins
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