With well over a thousand posts and goodness-knows-how-many recipes, it came as a shock for me to realize we only had ONE granola recipe.

That is unacceptable for such a crunchy blog.

Our only recipe (until now, that is) is Deanna’s delicious grain-free version, but for those of us who are not grain intolerant, I have a recipe I’ve been using for many, many years which I feel I must share with you.

This recipe helps solve that perplexing issue of many granolas: non-clumpiness. You may be fine with granola that has no clumps, but I think a lot of people prefer at least a few chunks of granola in there. Nuggets of nuts and oats and toasty goodness.

One of the ways to get those clusters is through sugar, with it’s legendary ability to make things melt together in crisp glory, but I prefer a slightly-sweet granola that doesn’t contain enough sweetener to facilitate this clumping.

This recipe uses an ingredient seldom found in most granola recipes that I think helps realize those clusters: flour. If you have a grinder, you can use any kind of grain you like, like the ancient grains kamut, einkorn, emmer, et al. In this case, I used organic white winter wheat, but any grain will do. I imagine you could also substitute nut flours, too, although I’ve yet to try it myself.

I adapted this recipe from a natural food restaurant recipe, and so it makes a lot.

I also change up the nuts and seeds and dried fruit depending on what I have on hand. Experiment and make it your own.

A Very Excellent Granola

makes a bunch

1 to 1 1/2 cups honey

1 1/2 cups healthy fat (I use a combination of coconut oil and grass-fed cultured butter when I have it, less awesome butter and light-flavored olive oil when I don’t)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

8 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour

3 cups assorted nuts and seeds (pecans, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.–pick your favorites)

1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Melt oil(s) if necessary in a saucepan–add honey.

Combine dry ingredients.

Add wet to dry.

Bake at 325 degrees F on sheet pans for 10 minutes. Turn with spatula. Bake another 10 minutes. Allow to cool without disturbing so they can chunk up.

Chop into large clusters.

If you wish, now add 1 to 2 cups dried fruit.

Store in sealed containers.

I’ve been getting my bulk grain from Azure Standard, and I like it a lot. I use their thick cut organic rolled oats, and bulk nuts and seeds and dried fruit, as well as their wheat (unmilled grains) and other heritage grains.

You can also get bulk grain from here if you don’t want to meet a tractor trailer in a parking lot. Ha. It’s an acquired taste, but I dig it.

Oh, and feel free to mix up the spices, too. Nutmeg, cloves, allspice, coriander, and whatever sounds good to you.