Granola is a mixture of baked rolled oats combined with nuts and dried fruit. It differs from muesli in that it goes through an extra baking step and contains sugar or honey. Once made, granola is ready to eat straight away — no need to soak it in boiling water like muesli, so you don't lose that satisfying crunch. You can use just about any nuts and dried fruit you like. For 300 grams of oats, I recommend using an equal amount of mix-ins — the more nuts and dried fruit, the better. The most important thing: use regular (not quick-cooking) rolled oats, not instant oats, since those can quickly turn mushy and you'll never get that crispy granola texture. Go for the largest, thickest rolled oats you can find, with the longest cooking time (7–10 minutes). You can also swap in a different juice — apple juice works great — just try to use an unsweetened variety so the granola doesn't come out too sweet. All in all, granola is absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend giving it a try — I'm sure you'll love it!
Ingredients:
- 300 g rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
- 150 g nuts (I used almonds, cashews, and walnuts)
- 150 g honey
- 150 ml orange juice (no sugar added)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150 g dried fruit (I used dried cranberries, raisins, and dates)
How to cook granola
Pour the warm honey mixture over the oats and nuts and stir very thoroughly. You can even work it together with your hands — you want every oat flake to be evenly coated with the honey mixture.
Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and smooth it into an even layer.
Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for about 30–40 minutes. One important step: stir the granola every 10–15 minutes so it dries out evenly. Toward the end of the baking time, take a small amount out of the oven, let it cool completely, and taste it — it should be crispy, which means the granola is done. As it bakes, the mixture develops a thin caramel coating, which makes it look dark and overly browned, but don't worry — it's not burned :-)
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