Granola is back, big time! I made it a lot in the 1970s, but it fell from my repertoire for about 20 years. When Gus was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 1998 it was difficult to find certified GF oats in the U.S., the conventional wisdom being that our fields of oat crops were alternately planted with wheat, rye, or barley. One could get them in Canada, but not here. Early commercial GF “granolas” contained rice puffs and corn based baked pieces that resembled large oat flakes. We’ve come a long way baby: you can purchase Bob’s Red Mill Organic GF oats at most markets; Trader Joe’s sells conventional GF oats for a reasonable price.
This raises the question: organic or conventional? In 2010 the Boston ICA had a show of work by Shepard Fairey (famous for the iconic Obama election poster from 2008 show of work). Much of it was influenced by the classic design of currency. One of the exhibition labels read that the work reflected his belief that an individual’s spending habits “reflect the direction in which they choose to transfer power.” The tag line on my personal email is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I’d like organic farmers across the country to have more control…more power. I’d like international agricultural chemical companies to have less. It’s your money – you decide.
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Our Most Popular Granola – healthy, not too sweet, lots of flavor!
We make some that are sexier (think butter and/or coconut oil) but this is the perfect one to have in the larder as holiday temptations are around the corner.
Oven: 350 F, Bake; Broiler pan or 11 x 14 baking pan, lined with parchment.
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Ingredients
4 cups GF Oats
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seed meal (remember, you can grind your own in a coffee mill.)
1 ½ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ Teaspoon sea salt (optional, but it enhances the flavors of the seeds and nuts.)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup molasses (I use “Blackstrap”, but you may prefer a less strong variety.)
1 Teaspoon GF vanilla or almond extract (remember the alcohol used in extracts can come from a gluten containing grain. If you’re super sensitive this could be a problem.)
1-2 cups dried fruit – I like a blend of Thompson and Golden raisins or cranberries and blueberries. Add the fruit after the granola has baked and cooled.
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Directions
- Mix the oats, almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds, flax seed meal (this is a substitute for wheat germ, an ingredient in many conventional granolas) cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
- Measure the oil, honey, molasses and vanilla into a glass measuring cup. Stir to blend and pour onto the oat/nut mixture.
- Spread the raw mixture evenly into the parchment lined baking pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring at 10-minute intervals.
- Let cool completely in the pan before adding dried fruit and transferring to an airtight container or zip lock bag for storage.
Gluten Free Gus 