232: Granola

I was almost done with my granola, so I decided it would be a good time to make some more. I liked my last recipe, but wanted to try something a little healthier, with less fat.  I pulled out a couple of recipes I’d printed off and decided to make the Granola recipe from the Recipes for Health column on the NY Times website.

This granola recipe uses ⅓ cup oil for 8 cups of oats and oat bran, whereas the Extreme Granola used a half cup of butter for 4 cups of oats. That means that this granola recipe will win the nutrition contest, hands-down. The Extreme Granola also uses more sugar than this one does.

I included the ground flaxseed with the rolled oats and oat bran, but did not have coconut. I used half almonds and half pecans in this recipe (much like I did before). I used .5 teaspoons nutmeg and 2.5 teaspoons cinnamon, but omitted salt. I added dried cherries since I don’t care much for raisins. Assembly was simple.

First thing I notice as I look at the picture on the webpage is how dark the granola there is. Indeed, I didn’t see the picture until after I’d already baked my granola a while. I stirred my granola at 15 minutes and 30 minutes, and then removed the granola completely at minute 40, since I thought it looked (and smelled) dark enough.

I wasn’t too keen on this granola at first. It’s a much heavier taste than the Extreme Granola, since it has oat bran and flax seed. The large amount of cinnamon with nutmeg also gave it a heavier, fuller taste. I did a taste comparison between this granola and the Extreme Granola, and while I don’t like the large amount of fat in the Extreme Granola, it had a lighter taste since I didn’t have any of the spice and wasn’t baked as long.

That said, this healthy granola has grown on me. I do enjoy it, but I don’t think that I want to eat cinnamon granola all the time. [Edit: It’s actually pretty decent as a cereal in milk.] It’s a fine recipe – it’s just not for me. I’m still going to look for a granola recipe that has a healthier profile (like this recipe) yet tastes really good (like the Extreme Granola). I’m not sure if I’ll make this recipe again, but if I do, I will only make a half batch, and I will not bake it as long so that it’s not as dark and heavy.