Simple Brown Sugar Granola
I’ve recently had to admit to myself that if I were single and living alone I would most likely eat granola for at least 2 meals a day. I love the stuff. Whenever there is some in the house I have to exercise serious self-control or that double batch of granola will disappear at a rate that you would not think possible for one person (one person because if I’m honest I have been known to polish off a whole bag before my husband is even aware of its existence).
This recipe might just be my favorite granola I’ve ever made. It’s perfectly yet simply spiced with just the right amount of sweetness. There is even a whisper of saltiness that immediately makes you want to shovel another bite into your mouth. Seriously, I can’t stop eating it. While cooking granola in the oven for 2 hours may seem extravagant, trust me, it’s worth it. It really dries out the oats and leaves you with that perfectly toasty and crunchy bite. The other benefit of the low and slow method is that you are not constantly coming back to the oven to check it or stir it. No fretting that it will go from toasty to burnt while you quickly go to change the laundry over.
Some notes:
I’m personally not a fan of super sugary granola but if you like a hefty punch of sweetness in the morning then doubling the sugar would not be out of bounds.
I use whole nutmeg and grind it with a microplane grater so the nutmeg is likely to be more intense than say ground nutmeg from a jar. Adjust the amounts as needed.
Maldon Sea salt or some other large flake salt is such a good thing to have in your home. I highly recommend that you “splurge” and get yourself some. If you don’t have Maldon, reduce the amount of salt to 1/4 tsp as any more of a finer grain salt will be way too salty.
Also, I ALWAYS double this recipe but telling you to use 12 cups of oats for one recipe seemed rather excessive so I restrained myself but know that you never should. Just keep what you can’t reasonably eat in a few days in the freezer. Cold granola is a delightful summer treat.
Simple Brown Sugar Granola
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup of water
- ¾ cup (160 g) brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Oil and
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 6 cups (620 grams) of oats
- ¾ cup (85 grams) of walnuts
- ¾ cup (85 grams) of pecans
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt (or other large flaky salt)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees then place the sugar and water into a small pot and cook it over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool for a bit then add the oil and vanilla.
- Into a large bowl, toss together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Add the sugar syrup mixture to the bowl and stir together till everything is evenly coated. This is easiest with your hands but a sturdy spatula will do.
- Pour it into a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and press it into the pan. Place it in the middle rack in your oven and cook for 75 minutes. Take it out and as best you can try to flip the granola keeping it in large chunks if possible. Place the cookie sheet back in the oven and continue baking for 60 minutes.