Cinnamon Maple Granola

A Parker summertime tradition, homemade granola. My husband’s favorite is cinnamon, my favorite is dark chocolate peanut. It’s great for snacking, eating as cereal with milk, or sprinkled on yogurt or ice cream (especially delicious on homemade ice cream!). You can follow the basic recipe and make it your own by adding your favorite ingredients.

 

5 cups rice krispies
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup rough chopped walnuts
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup craisins
3 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl, mix together rice krispies, oats, walnuts, raisins, coconut, dates, craisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again.  Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again.  Bake 8 minutes more.  Remove and cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

More Granola!

 

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Chewy Granola Bars

These granola bars are so easy to make, a perfectly delicious treat! Recipe from moneysavingmom.com.

2½ cups Rice Krispie Cereal
1¾ cups oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup each of other mix-ins (raisins, coconut, craisins, nuts, sunflower seed, etc.)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine Rice Krispies, oats, wheat germ, and mix-ins in large bowl. In saucepan, mix honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Pour over dry mixture and stir until well coated. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then gently stir in mini chocolate chips. Press into sprayed 9″x13″ pan. Let cool and set up then cut into bars.

One Year Ago: Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Two Years Ago: Peanutty Pretzel Brownies

Three Years Ago: Cookies’n Cream Fudge

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies

This morning I was craving a cookie. Wait…is there something wrong with me? Do normal people wake up craving a really good cookie? I don’t want bacon and eggs, I want a cookie. Anyway, I am quite picky about the look of a cookie. I want it to look so good that it speaks to me, says something like, “I am so irresistible, a taste adventure, so worth the calories”. When I took these babies out of the oven I swear I heard one say, “Hey lady, we speak your language, and who cares what time it is”. There is granola in these cookies, so, we have the whole breakfast thing covered, lets eat!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups granola
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Reese’s Mini Pieces

Preheat oven to 375°. With electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, granola, chocolate chips, and Reese’s Mini Pieces and mix just until combined. Drop by scoopfuls onto slipat lined or lightly sprayed baking sheet, press each scoop of batter down slightly to flatten (bottom of a glass or fingers work!). Bake 9-10 minutes, do not over bake. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and remove to cooling rack. Makes about 30 2½” cookies. Adapted from a Southern Living recipe on myrecipes.com.

One Year Ago: German Chocolate Pie

Two Years Ago: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Two Ways

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Fruit & Honey Graham Granola

It is summer, and I always make granola. Why? Well, I did it one year to take with us on our family vacation to Sun Valley ID and then did it the next year and now…well it’s tradition! We can’t go without it, it just wouldn’t be right! Great for breakfast or snacking anytime.

3 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups chopped (chunks) graham crackers
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apple
1/2 cup chopped dried banana
3/4 cup Craisins
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, stir together Rice Krispies, graham cracker, oats, almonds, raisins, apple, banana, and Craisins. In medium bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and honey. Pour over oat mixture and gently stir to coat. Spread evenly in two baking sheets sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 8 minutes, take out and stir. Trade tray placement in oven, top goes to bottom rack and bottom goes to top rack, bake for 8 minutes more. Remove and stir, trade placement of trays in oven again and bake for 8 minutes more. Watch closely, don’t want the granola too brown (stir again if necessary). After removing after third 8 minute baking, let trays of granola cool completely. Break into chunks, desired size and keep in in airtight container. Ready to crunch, yum!

You might want to check out these other granola recipes:
Pumpkin Pie Granola
Dark Chocolate Peanut Granola
Homemade Granola

 

One Year Ago: Summer Vegetable Tian

Two Years Ago: Jam Filled Sweet Muffins

Pumpkin Pie Granola

I love granola, when I make it I eat way too much of it.  I guess there are some health benefits in there somewhere.  This recipe is inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest, thanks to dashingdish.com for a great idea.  This is my version of Pumpkin Pie Granola.

6 cups old fashioned oats
3 cups crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies)
½ cup chopped dates
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 ¼ cups pure maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup vanilla chips
1 cup graham cracker pieces

Preheat oven to 325°.  In large bowl, mix together oats, crispy rice cereal, dates, walnuts, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  In microwave safe bowl, warm the butter, pumpkin, maple syrup , and brown sugar until melted together.  Add vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Spread out evenly on two Silpat lined sheets or sprayed cookie sheets.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, gently stirring a couple times and spread out again during baking (keeping track of baking time).  Remove and cool completely (granola does set up and stay in clumps as it cools).  Stir in vanilla chips and graham cracker pieces.  Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.  Store in airtight container.

One Year Ago:  Oreo Truffles 

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Granola

At this time each year I make granola, usually in preparation for our family vacation.  This year inspired by a recipe on ohsheglows.com, I am adding dark chocolate, it’s supposed to be good for you, right?  I am willing to believe it.  Here is my version of granola with dark chocolate.

4½ cups old fashioned oats
2½ cups crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 Tbl butter
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°.  In large bowl, mix together oats, crispy rice cereal, craisins, dates, and peanuts.  In microwave safe bowl, warm maple syrup, peanut butter, and butter until melted together.  Add vanilla and salt.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Stir in dark chocolate chips.  Spread out evenly on two Silpat lined sheets or sprayed cookie sheets.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, gently stirring a couple times and spread out again during baking (keeping track of baking time).  Remove and cool completely (granola does set up and stay in clumps as it cools).  Store in airtight container.  Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.  We think it’s yummy!

One Year Ago Today:  Chocolate Oat Squares

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Homemade Granola

I think it’s fun to combine different elements from different recipes, tweak and fine-tune and come up with something that feels all your own.  It became a tradition at the end of every school year to make homemade granola to take with us on our family vacation.  So, whether we have a vacation planned or not, this time of year I feel the need to make my granola.

5 cups rice krispies
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rough chopped pecans
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup craisins
1 cup chopped dried apple
2 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl, mix together rice krispies, oats, wheat germ, almonds, pecans, raisins, coconut, dates, craisins, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again.  Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again.  Bake 8 minutes more.  Remove and cool completely.  Store in airtight container.  Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.  We think it’s yummy!