Growing up I ate a lot of granola. A lot.
My mom would make a huge bowl of granola, it would seem to take all day to bake the granola at a low temperature, stirring it every half hour or so.
It was the same recipe, every single time. Sunflower seeds, coconut, wheat germ, and oats. Every single batch.
Not only can granola be easier but it can be lots more fun! Salted Caramel is fun! Toss in some pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) maybe some flax or chia, or coconut, or whatever your heart desires.
It doesn't have to take all day to bake either. If you spread it across a baking sheet it finishes in a fraction of the time. Also, lots of big clusters. And aren't the clusters the very best part? Stirring very often breaks up all those beautiful clusters, so the baking sheet allows for the granola to dry quickly which eliminates the need to stir the granola and that retains all those yummy clumps.
In less than an hour you can be enjoying this sweet, crunchy granola...
Salted Caramel Granola
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes plus 40 minutes
Ingredients (4-5 cups)
For the Salted Caramel sauce
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 c. milk
- 4 Tbs butter
- 1 Tbs salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Granola
- 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
- 4 c. GF rolled oats
- 1 c. pepitas (or other nut or seed)
- 3 Tbs flax meal (or seeds)
- more salt to taste
Instructions
For the Caramel Sauce
Heat the milk in the microwave or over low heat. (heating it will prevent the milk from curdling. If it curdles a little it will be ok, just strain it.) I don't think you'd have the same problem with a non-dairy milk. You just want a nice simmer about the same time the sugar is all melted.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan mix together the sugar and vinegar or lemon juice together (it should look like wet sand.) Heat over medium-high heat until it starts to melt. Stir and break up any clumps until you have smooth (and very hot) melted sugar that is about the color of a penny (nice dark amber/copper color.)
Add the milk and stir over medium low heat until smooth (the melted sugar will seize up a bit but will melt back into the milk.)
Swirl in the butter 1 Tbs at a time until it is all melted, season with the salt.
Pour the caramel sauce through a sieve to get out any clumps or curdled milk.
For the Granola
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl mix together all of the granola ingredients. Mix 1 scoop of protein powder (optional) into the caramel sauce and mix until smooth. Pour the caramel sauce over the granola ingredients and mix to coat. Salt to taste.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (optional) and spread the granola evenly on the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, bake for another 10 minutes. Turn the oven open, crack open the oven for 1 minute, then shut the door and let the granola cool in the oven for another 40 minutes (approx.)
Let cool and then break the granola into large chunks.
Keeps at room temperature for up to several weeks (it only lasts 3 days at our house.)
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Notes:
- You can add up to 2 cups of mix-ins to your granola, and choose whatever you want. Chia seeds, coconut, almonds, other nuts, sunflower seeds, whatever you have. I like using pepitas because they have a milder flavor than sunflower seeds.
- If you want chewier granola just bake the granola for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven. You could also try baking for 30 minutes, rotating half way through.
