Green Goes Simple: Eco-eating: Homemade Granola

Image by little blue hen via Flickr

Eco-eating: Homemade Granola

By Sara Kramer for Green Goes Simple

What could be greener than granola? Whip up your own batch: It’s planet-friendlier than the store-bought stuff -- and just as tasty! Fortunately, making homemade granola couldn’t be easier. Scrap the packaging, save some dollars and go green-ola with our recipe.

Maple-pecan and coconut-cashew are classic combinations, but don’t hesitate to get fancy with sesame seeds or a pinch of cayenne. This is your homemade granola -- customize as you see fit!

Homemade Granola

1. Preheat oven to 275 F.

2. In a bowl, combine rolled oats (barley and quinoa flakes are a nice variety) with nuts and seeds of your choosing.

3. In another bowl, combine oil or butter with a sweetener. (Think brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.)

4. Warm the bowl to melt butter and dissolve sugar. (Note: An oil-and-maple syrup combination won’t require heat.)

5. Pour the sweetener over oats and mix well, adding salt and/or spices to taste. Pour enough so your granola is saturated, with no pool of liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

6. Spread the mixture out onto parchment-lined pans in even, thin layers. Toast slowly at 275 F until dry.
7. Once cool, break the bunches apart and add dried
   fruits. Pack away into airtight containers and enjoy for weeks!

Sara Kramer is a chef and butcher in Brooklyn, N.Y., who attended NYU and the Natural Gourmet Institute. She believes we should all think more about where our food comes from.