Easy Recipes to Feel Good: Steel Cut Granola

Easy Recipes to Feel Good

Easy Recipes to Feel Good is a monthly recipe post for our readers and past participants who recognize the payoff of eating foods that support us, but also have more on their schedule than cooking food. 

Our first installment, Mix It Up Steel Cut Granola, is intended to provide you with a “basic” granola recipe (all included in the chief ingredient list) and then auxiliary ingredients that allow you to mix the recipe up a little. Something that you can make every few weeks but never end up with the same product.

Mix It Up Steel Cut Granola

Makes seven ½ Cup Servings (Yes, that’s a weeks worth!  But it will last for 2 weeks in a tight container at room temp.  Or indefinitely if you freeze it.)

Chief Ingredients

• 2 ½ Cups Rolled Oats
• ½ Cup Steel Cut Oats
• ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Auxiliary Ingredients

I encourage you to mix it up and get creative here.  Use a combo of a few fruits and seeds and nuts.  This gives the recipe versatility so you don’t end up with the same end product.  Have fun!

• ¾ Cup Dried Fruit Ideas include (but are not limited to!)…
  • Diced apricots, thinly sliced figs, cranberries, dried berries, cherries, diced mango, chopped dates, or dried coconut flakes
• ¾ Cup Nuts or Seeds
  • Whole almonds, slivered almonds, chopped or halved walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, hemp seeds, whole flaxseeds, or chia seeds

Preparation

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a big mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients included in the Chief Ingredient list (that’s the first 5).
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients (the last 3).  You might want to microwave the honey for a few seconds to loosen it up a little, your call.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and combine by hand.
5. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and mix in the auxiliary ingredients.
8. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Let cool.
10. Store in an airtight container.