Written By: Rachel Gnagy @ Inscribed Photography
(inspired by this recipe)
While in New Zealand on a missions trip five years ago, I fell in love with a granola cereal served at the camp where our group was staying. It was crunchy, not too sweet, and chock full of yummy ingredients. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to find a good copycat recipe for that granola. This recipe is as close as I can get to what I remember enjoying in New Zealand.
You will need:
4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 Tbl. ground cinnamon
1/2 Tbl. vanilla (not pictured)
1 cup dried fruit of your choice (I used chopped apricots and craisins)
The beauty of this recipe is that you can adapt it to fit your tastes. Add walnuts instead of pecans, or add dried cherries instead of apricots. Add more nuts if you like your cereal to have lots of protein, or add a dash of nutmeg to give it more spice.
Combine oatmeal, wheat germ, seeds and nuts in a large bowl.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, mix together the salt, brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. You may want to add more honey (or even a dash of maple syrup) if you like your cereal pretty sweet. Bring mixture to a boil.
Pour syrup over the dry ingredients and mix to combine. The mixture should have a light, even coating of the syrup. Spread the granola on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir the mixture. Bake for another 10 minutes. If you like your cereal extra toasty, you may want to stir it and bake it another 10 minutes. I baked this batch for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.
This is a great topping for smoothies or yogurt, or to eat as a breakfast cereal. I love the texture and flavor of this recipe. It’s not too sweet and hearty enough to get me through the morning – which is saying a lot for someone who is six months pregnant!