There was recently a list circulating online about the “10 Foods You Should NEVER Eat”, in which, Quaker Oats & Honey Granola is…#1. Seriously. More fat, they say, than a McDonald’s hamburger. That’s just all kinds of wrong. So very, very wrong. If I’m going to eat more fat than a McDonald’s hamburger (eww! to begin with), then it should have cream and chocolate and butter — not hippified oats and dried fruit!
This is a recipe out of Everyday Food magazine. I tried it last week and liked it a lot. However, I wanted the granola to clump a little bit more, so next time, I think will use more of the apple juice concentrate. But other than that it was quite good! You should try it — it’s much better (and a lot healthier) than a McDonald’s hamburger. On the other hand, these and these (definitely not of the McDonald’s variety) , documented and commented upon by ExtraMSG, look pretty damn good!
Oh, wait, but here, we are discussing granola. Uh…yay!
Low Fat Granola:
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 cup nuts of your choice, coarsely chopped (I deviated a bit here– I used about 1 cup total of walnuts and pecans combined)
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried fruit, halved or chopped if large (I used golden raisins and dates)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by- 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Toss oats, wheat germ and nuts, stirring to combine. Spread out on baking sheet. Bake until oats are lightly toasted, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together apple juice, sugar, and oil. Pour over oat mixture; stir to combine. Return to oven, and bake until oats are crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Cool in pan, about 25 minutes, then toss with fruit. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 month.