This is my easy go-to granola. It’s packed with nuts and is low in sugar and oil.
Being on “vacation” in Austria to visit my family while living in Boston means having lots of delicious Austrian food around me. So, a typical day usually starts with a coffee and some slices of a sweet, braided raisin loaf with unsalted butter and Mum’s homemade blackberry jam (of course … homemade, what else) or a kaiser roll with unsalted butter and homemade apricot jam, or dark sourdough bread with unsalted butter and jam (you get the idea, right?).
I admit, I am one of those people who love sweet breakfasts and will carefully observe you across the breakfast table if you would reach for cheese or ham (hummus for breakfast hasn’t made it to Austria yet).
Breakfast is usually followed by a big lunch such as Fleischlaiberl, something like beef and pork patties mixed with bread (google it, you will like it) with mashed potatoes on the side and Topfennockerl for dessert (huuuh, difficult to describe, close to sweet cooked quark/ricotta dumplings, coated in toasted, buttered breadcrumbs … heaven is right here).
In the afternoon, around 3 or 4, it’s coffee and cake time. I’m talking about homemade cake – today for example, we had sponge cake with a meringue layer, topped with blackberries and black currants who have been sitting in the freezer since last summer. Around 6 or 7 pm, it’s time for the last snack, usually something cold like an open face sandwich with dark bread, cheese, cold cuts, and veggies.
Why am I telling you all this, you may ask? Honestly, I don’t know, but on this point you must have noticed, that I like to write about food. No wait … I actually had a point: The last couple of weeks before I came to Austria, I developed a granola obsession.
In our tiny apartment, where we have absolutely no pantry space left, I baked about 5 different batches of granola and stored them in empty jam jars in every corner. No space means you have to eat granola day by day, usually for breakfast, to shrink down the supplies.
Back in Austria, I kind of miss granola for breakfast now. Especially my basic go-to version with walnuts and almonds. So yesterday I ended up making a batch here, at my parents home, my favorite kind.
Heaven is right here … yes, again.
Oh, and if you want to try a less nutty granola, here is my pumpkin and sunflower seed granola (picture above). It’s so delicious!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (80 g) walnuts
- 1/2 cup (80 g) almonds (with skin)
- 3 tablespoons (25 g) roasted, unsalted peanuts
- 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (20 g) quick rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (20 g) shredded coconut
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
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3 tablespoons vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Optional: dried fruits like raisins, cranberries or cherries
Instructions
- Chop walnuts, almonds and peanuts medium fine (1/8-1/4 inch pieces) with a sharp knife.
- Mix the chopped nuts with the rest of the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
- Mix oil and maple syrup in a small bowl (they don’t like each other, so don’t try to mix until smooth) and add the mixture to dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly.
- Spread the granola evenly onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake in the center rack at 350 °F for about 20-25 minutes.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven twice and turn the granola to brown evenly. If the granola browns too much, it will taste bitter, so make sure to have an eye on it towards the end of the baking time.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven, smooth it (press it down) with a spatula or cooking spoon and let it cool completely. Don’t stir it any more or you will destroy the clusters.
- The granola will have smaller clusters but also loose pieces. If you want a big cluster granola you will have to increase the amount of oil and syrup (up to double the amount).
- If you are a fan of dried fruits, mix them in when you take the sheet out of the oven, just before pressing the granola down with a spoon.
- Or if everyone in your household has a different taste concerning dried fruits (I know some raisin-haters), just stir them in before serving.
- In winter I enjoy this granola with dried cranberries, in summer with fresh fruits that are in season.
Did you follow this recipe? You could share your result here. All you need to do is take a picture with your smartphone and send it to [email protected]
