Baked Granola AND Granola Bread

I love granola.  I love the taste of it.  I even love the way the word sounds rolling off my tongue.  "Gra-no-la," - Sounds fancy, doesn't it?! 

Granola bars, granola bits and now even granola bread.  I love them all. 

Below is a simple homemade granola recipe that I found in my Double Delicious cookbook.  It intrigued me because it used a bit of carrot puree in it and had less fat than many other granola recipes out there.  Then I found a wonderful granola bread recipe in my bread machine cookbook.  So now you can make granola and save some to make in fresh bread too.  It smells so wonderful baking in your kitchen, trust me!  I adapted both recipes slightly and changed a few measurements.  I hope you enjoy them!




Baked Granola Bits
(Makes 4 cups)

Adapted from the Double Delicious cookbook

1 cup of oats
1 cup of rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
1 cup of puff cereal (such as Kashi)
1/2 cup of peanuts, dry roasted (or other variety like cashews, almonds, etc.)
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, dry roasted
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of carrot puree (or carrots cut into fine pieces)
1/3 cup of honey
1/4 cup of ground flaxseed meal
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray. 

Combine all above ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Pour and press into the greased baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Check it about half way through and stir up the mix. 

Remove from the oven and let it cool for about five minute before sampling.  I divided mine up into 1/2 cup portions and placed them in individual plastic bags.   This is a lower-fat, great version of traditional granola.  You even get in a veggie too, thanks to the pureed carrots, which after baking you can't even see them there!





My favorite way to eat granola is mixed in with my Greek yogurt.  Good stuff!  A filling, delicious snack.  Or often I eat this for breakfast or lunch!





Be sure to save 1 and 1/2 cups of that baked granola to then try out this delicious homemade bread recipe! 

See below:







Granola Bread

(Makes one 2 lb. loaf)

1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk (I use the dry powder kind and add water to it)
3 T. oil
4 T. honey
2 cups wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 and 1/2 cups of granola bits (see above recipe)
1 T. + 1 tsp. gluten
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2.5 tsp SAF yeast or 1 T. bread machine yeast

I used my bread machine for this so I haven't tested it in the oven.  But it came out wonderful!  I simply placed all the above ingredients in my bread machine, in the order they are listed.  I set the cycle to "basic".  The loaf size is 2 pounds and the crust is set to medium.

If you are doing this by hand, you'll want to follow the typical kneading and rising in three phases.  Then bake for 1 hour or longer, until done.

The flavor of this bread is a nutty, sweet taste but it's not overpowering.  It will make a great breakfast bread or it would be great in French toast (which I intend to make this weekend). 

My bread machine crushed and blended the nuts and raisins so well that you could barely even tell they are in there.   As my friend Jess would say, this is no "birdseed bread."  :-) 

Try it, I think you'd really enjoy it!






For another great granola recipe, check out my no-bake granola bars .  Go get your granola on!  It's good for you and it travels well too! 

Party Pretzel Mix and Mexican "Soup" Dip



Woo-hoo!  Today is a two for one!  Don't you love a good "BOGO" (buy one, get one free)?  Well here are two recipes in one post just because I like you and I want you to have more food ideas for the upcoming game weekend. 


Here are two very simple snack recipes for your parties and gatherings.  First is a party pretzel mix.  This one is an easy, throw together before you go to bed the night before mix that adds some deep flavor to just your typically salty bag of pretzels.   The other one is a healthier Mexican dip, which my husband dubbed as "soup" dip.  You probably could serve it as soup with chips on top.  But I served it as a thick dip with chips to dunk into.  Either way, it's very tasty.


I would suggest serving both of these items separately but perhaps at the same event to "wow" your guests!




Pretzel Party Mix
(Serves enough for a good crowd!)

1 bag (16 oz) of pretzels
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 package of dry envelope Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp ground basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground dill weed


In a large plastic container or bowl, pour the olive oil.  Then toss in the entire bag of pretzels and coat them in the oil.  Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix, basil, garlic powder and dill weed.  Mix well with a large spoon or your hands.  Cover the bowl or container.  Shake the pretzels up and then leave overnight to coat and soak up seasonings.  The next day, shake up the pretzels again.  Then serve to guests. 


Note: You can make this one several days in advance and just keep it in an air-tight safe container.  If you forget to make ahead and need a last-minute fix, then you can bake in the oven for 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Let them cool for two minutes and serve.  Enjoy!



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Mexican "Soup" Dip

(Serves 12 - 15)

1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained except for about 2 tbsp of juice
1 can (15 oz) of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large avocado, mashed
1/4 cup of salsa
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup of shredded, reduced fat Mexican cheese (such as 2%)


Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Stir and heat on high for five minutes.  Stir again and serve with baked tortilla chips or crackers.   Or if you think it's too "soup" like, just eat it as is and serve the chips on top.  Both ways are worth a try!  


Tomorrow I'll share a delicious dessert that will be great to share with guests for game day or any party you have!  I'll also reveal my love letter for a very special combination of foods that I adore!  Stay tuned!

No-Bake Granola Bars

My friend Briony has gotten me hooked on eating granola bars as snacks and even for my lunch last year.  She makes her own from scratch.  That is something I never thought to do until I met her.  They really are very easy to make and less expensive if you can put them together yourself.  She has a great recipe but she's saving it for her own personal cookbook.  Her granola bars have a lot of peanuts and peanut-flavor in them. 


I decided to change up her recipe skipping the peanuts and therefore cutting back on the fat.  I was really pleased with how these turned out.  I will try mixing it up again in the future to see what else I can come up with as well.





No-Bake Granola Bars
(Makes 12 to 18 bars, depending on how you cut them)

Adapted from Southern Living
2 and 1/2 cups of rice or puff cereal (I used Kashi)
2 cups of old fashioned oats
1 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of peanut butter, creamy style
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract


*Note: You could add 1/2 cup of peanuts or sunflower seeds if you like.  I chose not to so I could keep the fat content and the nutty flavor down to a minimum. 


Generously grease a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine the rice cereal, oats and raisins.  In a medium size sauce pan, place the honey and brown sugar.  Sautee on medium heat until dissolved and smooth, stirring for about five minutes.  Wait until the liquid just begins to bubble then remove pan from heat. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth, like this: 






Pour the peanut butter liquid over the rice cereal and oats mixture.  I like to mix it all together using my hands that have been coated with cooking spray.  I find that my hands work better than just a spoon for stirring. 






Let the granola sit for about ten minutes and harden before adding the chocolate chips.  If you add the chips too soon, they will melt.


After mix has cooled and you've added the chips, press the granola into the greased 13x9 inch pan.  Place in the refridgerator for about an hour to harden.  Remove from fridge and cut into squares.  I cut mine into 12 wide bars.  You can make smaller ones if you like. 






I place them in press and seal wrap and then inside freezer-safe plastic bags for strorage purposes.  I keep mine in the fridge or in the freezer until I'm ready to eat them. 





I don't like to keep them out at room temperature because the highs and lows vary so much here in Florida.  So my stash is always in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!


There are so many variations of granola bars out there so it's fun to try a new one.  I personally prefer not to have flour or oil in mine.  Do you have a great granola recipe worth sharing?  If so, leave it in the comments section.  What are some of your favorite, healthy and on-the-go snacks?