homemade granola

I am back in Berlin and back in my kitchenette.

Naturally the first thing to do after a housekeeping break is to stock the pantry. Along with this: to produce granola (the German equivalent has the nice name Knuspermüsli - crunchy muesli) in bulk.

Once prepared there is hardly a faster, cheaper, tastier, healthier breakfast when you are in a hurry. Whereas for a weekend meal I consider it too humble ;)

This is how I make mine, geared to this recipe. There are gazillion versions in the blogosphere but Nigella Lawson's is said to be an original.

Needless to say that everything can be changed to one's liking so these are guidelines:

- the more different flavors (different spices, sweeteners, liquids etc.) combined, the more complex and delicious will be the outcome.

- if you want to add dried fruits, do it after the baking. In this case, the amount of sugar can be reduced beforehand.

- to make it even more nutritious, eat it with yogurt and fresh fruits

- whereas serving it with milk will bring out all flavors at ultimate level.

- even though it is addictive, consume it in moderate amounts. Otherwise you won't get hungry for the rest of the day ;).


1) Prepare the binding sauce: mix
- 200g mango-apple puree (or smashed bananas or any other fruit puree. I bought an organic puree at the drugstore dm which was just fine)
- 180g liquid sweeteners (maple syrup + agave syrup + honey)
- 1 tsp fleur de sel
- 2 tsp ground cinnemon
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2) Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl:
- 500g whole multi-grain flakes
- 400g nuts (only almonds are fine. alternatively walnuts, hazelnuts, pekans, cashew, macadamia,..)
- 150g seeds (sunflower + pumpkin + sesame + flax)
- 100g light brown sugar

3) Pour in the sauce and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Mix everything well. Spread the granola on a baking sheet.

4) Bake it in the oven at 160°C until golden brown, approximately 40 min (in order to save energy, don't preheat the oven and turn the it off 10 min earlier). After half of the baking time stir it.

5) Additional tip: store the granola together with a used vanilla bean (a new one won't harm but is really not necessary here). A bean can be used for up to a year.