Monday, December 17, 2012

Holiday Granola – Only 8 Edible Gift Making Days Until Christmas!

When I was asked to take part in a special holiday YouTube playlist called, Christmas Morning Breakfast,” I started thinking about seasonal variation on things like eggs benedict, quiche, and French toast. But then I realized…you can’t wrap those things up and give them as an edible gift, so I decided to do this granola instead.

We’ve covered the edible gift topic before, and discussed the fine line between, “Wow, what a creative and thoughtful gift!” and “Wow, what a cheapskate!” Happily, when it comes to this delicious, crunchy treat, one taste and the lucky recipient will forget about any ulterior economic motivations.

Since this was a Christmas-themed recipe, I went with lots of festively colored dried fruit, but the beauty of the granola technique is that it pretty much works with anything. I love the looks of the green pumpkin seeds, but things like hazelnuts and pecans would also work wonderfully.

As I mentioned in the video, it’s really up to you to determine the cooking time. I tend to like mine just golden-brown, but many enjoy the deeper, nuttier flavor of a longer roasting. Since you are pulling and tossing every 10 minutes, this is pretty easy to monitor, but just be careful towards the end, as it can get bitter if you go too far.

Anyway, whether this is for a quick and easy holiday breakfast, with milk or over Greek yogurt; or you are going to package some up as a stocking stuffer for the foodies in your life, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for about 6 cups of Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (pure coconut, not candied)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped candy covered chocolate pieces (like M&M’s)
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1 cup mixed dried fruit (any combo of cranberries, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
*Bake at 325 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

20 comments:

nachumj said...

needs some cardamom

Ms. Sheehan said...

Hi Chef John! If you can't answer this question, I'm hoping someone reading your blog can...I want to make this as a gift for someone who has a severe gluten allergy.

I know oats (and the other ingredients...I think) on this list don't contain gluten specifically, but I've read a lot of articles online about cross-contamination and I'm wondering how much of the hype I should (need to) believe. Should I go out and buy expensive oats that say on the label 'gluten-free', or am I getting worried over nothing?

Thanks to any foodies who can help me! :D <3 Happy holidays!

Chef John said...

Sorry, I don't have any info about that! Hopefully someone knows.

Masae said...

The wait was worth it.
I love Granola!

Juliano said...

You must ask the companies that have manufactured the ingredients if their products suffer from gluten cross-contamination. All the well know ones have some sort of customer service. you can find that on the product's packaging. You can also read there if the food has some traces of gluten.. Which is easier if you ask me.

Unknown said...

I love this recipe, I make granola all of the time. I'd never leave comments to try to correct a recipe or question it, but I guess this is just a tip!

I use old fashioned oats, they're thicker and worked a bit better than the quick cooking oats-but it totally could have been a brand thing. Somehow, I never thought to put chopped chocolate candy in the mix, cant wait to try it though. Thanks for the video!

Unknown said...

I love this recipe, I make granola all of the time. I'd never leave comments to try to correct a recipe or question it, but I guess this is just a tip!

I use old fashioned oats, they're thicker and worked a bit better than the quick cooking oats-but it totally could have been a brand thing. Somehow, I never thought to put chopped chocolate candy in the mix, cant wait to try it though. Thanks for the video!

Unknown said...

I love this recipe, I make granola all of the time. I'd never leave comments to try to correct a recipe or question it, but I guess this is just a tip!

I use old fashioned oats, they're thicker and worked a bit better than the quick cooking oats-but it totally could have been a brand thing. Somehow, I never thought to put chopped chocolate candy in the mix, cant wait to try it though. Thanks for the video!

tilen21 said...

Hey Chef John, love this idea as a gift. Unfortunately i can't get any maple syrup. Would honey be a good substitute and if so should i put in more or less or about the same. Thanks for the answer:)

Chef John said...

Sorry, never used honey. I'd google a honey granola recipe to compare.

Heather Chachula said...

Hi Chef John- I made this and gave it out as gifts to some of our friends. Everyone loved it.

Thanks for sharing.

The Crying Cook said...

This looks delicious and easy! Granola is such a quick and healthy option any time of year. Somewhat similar, I make a baked oatmeal in the slow cooker--so delicious and simple to prepare.

I am a huge fan of your videos and just subscribed to your blog. Keep the excellent posts coming!

ko40370 said...

Chef John, I really enjoy your videos...regarding the coconut...my local megamarts have shredded coconut "sweetened". Is sweetened the same as candied? I can find shredded coconut "unsweetened" on the net, but can I just use the sweetened variety?
I'm not sure what you mean by "candied".

Chef John said...

it may work, but mine was pure dried coconut, with no added sugar.

Unknown said...

This recipe is awesome! I don't like it too sweet so I halved the sugar and syrup. And I added dates instead of berries.
Moreover, a little bit of cinnamon really intensifies the flavor! It's even better. You should try!

lealeboa said...

Ho my goodness!! This granola is amazing, mine just came out of the oven 30 minutes ago, it is sheer beauty. I'm from Europe, and while mapple syrup is available in some stores, I couldn't find it this time, so I replaced it with honey, and it worked perectly, the syrup wasn't as runny as it seems to be with mapple syrup and it didn't bubbled when I heated it, but it came out as liquid as needed to coat the cereals, so it was perfect, and the taste of that honey is marvelous, so it worked great if you ask me! Thank you very much for sharing your recipe chef John, take care!!

Unknown said...

Really enjoyed this recipe! I'm not a fan of Maple syrup (think I'm the only Canadian that isn't ) so I used organic Agave syrup. Everyone on my "nice list " is getting this for Xmas. Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

Really enjoyed this recipe! I'm not a fan of Maple syrup (think I'm the only Canadian that isn't ) so I used organic Agave syrup. Everyone on my "nice list " is getting this for Xmas. Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

When I was little, the only dried fruits I knew about were raisins and prunes. Dates came a little later.

clc said...

Of all the great CJ recipes I've tried, it may seem dumb to comment on granola but: This is delicious. I even left out the eminems & it's still addictively munchable. So fresh, crispy, sweet yet savory (do not skip the salt)... just perfect. Makes packaged granola taste like candied cardboard. I did add cinnamon (1/2 tsp.) since my previously favorite granola is cinnamon-flavored. I'm never buying that stuff again!
P.S. Tastes great with homemade yogurt -- also easy to make.