Dehydrated Granola Recipe
This is a super-duper rough estimate for the lazy cook, because I basically just throw everything in and adjust by looks and taste.
Ingredients:
– A couple handfuls of oatmeal (Not instant, not steel-cut.)
– Handful of chopped nuts (Any kind! Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia, seriously, whatever you have on hand or is your favorite.)
– Handful of chopped, dehydrated fruit (I don’t dehydrate the fruit alongside the oatmeal, I either use something I already dehydrated or dried fruit from Trader Joe’s. And again, whatever you like: cranberries, apricots, raisins, pineapple, mango, blueberries, etc. Just make sure the fruit is chopped into little pieces.)
– Ground flax seed (If you have it, add it!)
– Wheatgerm (Again, if you have it, add it!)
– Chia seeds/pumpkin seeds/anything seeds (Seriously, this is the point where I’m throwing in stuff from around the kitchen that is healthy/tasty.)
– A spoonful of coconut oil (Maybe melt it a bit in the microwave first to make it easier to mix. Also, feel free to add more or less after you mix it all up a bit.)
– Couple dollops of maple syrup (Or agave. Or honey. Not too much, though. When you dehydrate, the sweetness intensifies.)
– Splash of vanilla extract (Like everything else, this is optional for you. But this is never optional for me.)
Directions:
Okay, so basically you just mix all of this together. Everything should be damp and evenly coated with the maple syrup/coconut oil/vanilla, but not dripping wet by any means. If you have a dehydrator, this is where you spread the mixture out on your trays (use parchment paper if you don’t have plastic liners) and leave it alone for half a day.
If you DON’T have a dehydrator but DO have an oven, spread out your mixture on a baking sheet and set your oven to its lowest setting. It’s helpful to leave the oven door open a little in order to get some air flowing, as you aren’t cooking, but rather dehydrating.
Like I said, this is basically a cop-out recipe, because for me granola is kind of a see-how-it-goes thing. You can add-in or take-out any of the ingredients.
I’ve heard some people mix in peanut butter, add coconut flakes, or use other crazy kinds of nuts and seeds. The whole point is to throw together some tasty ingredients and see what turns out.
Then, throw it in some milk, add it to some yogurt, mix it into applesauce, whatever you want!
