granola Archives - Ari's Menu

Gingerbread Granola

December 1, 2013 · by Ari · 23 Comments

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift! Friends! I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for months to share holiday recipes with you! I am still so full from Thanksgiving weekend that I almost can’t even think about anymore food. Almost… But this granola is so special that I actually haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I made it. In fact, I’ve already run out, and usually I try to think of an other granola I’d like to make so I can share a new recipe, but I think I have to make this one again because it’s literally all I can think about. I had my doubts going in. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the pure gingerbread flavor to sit just right in a nutty granola, and when I tasted the batter (yes, I taste unbaked granola), I was sure the molasses flavor was going to overpower everything. You know how the best ginger molasses cookies are the ones rolled in sugar? Well, they’re my favorite. Just before baking, I made a game time decision to sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the batch, and it was the BEST idea. I only used 2 tablespoons (on a 12ish cup recipe), but it added that extra sweetness that I would want from my gingerbread, and helped tone down the molasses a bit. Feel free to altar the sugar and spices to fit your preferences. I use a very simple basic granola recipe for all of my granola and just tweak things here and there to bring the flavor profile I want. The recipe is hard to mess up, and super adaptable to your tastes. The recipe is super simple and easy to make, plus it makes a HUGE batch of granola, so if you’re doing edible gifts for any of your friends/family/teachers/coworkers/bike shop employees (my husband insists), you’ll only need one batch, and you’ll still have some left over for you, because trust me, you’ll want some. In fact, you won’t want to share any of it once you sample a cluster. Trust me, those big granola clusters are even more addicting than even the softest ginger cookies.

Gingerbread Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 12 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Gingerbread Granola

All the flavors of classic gingerbread in a spiced, nutty flavorful granola with big snack-worthy clusters. Vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect edible gift!

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
2/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
Generous pinch salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup apple butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each baking pan with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola half way through. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

http://www.arismenu.com/gingerbread-granola/

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

September 24, 2013 · by Ari · 13 Comments

This morning I went out for a run, and my first thought when I stepped outside was “It feels chilly out”!!!! I practically jumped for joy. There is a warmth in my heart that can only be described as fall, and I don’t intend to stop sharing my love about it any time soon. Forgive me?

Of course I needed a special fall granola. Okay, that’s a lie. I made this in, like, April and thought I should probably wait until fall to post it. I do promise not to post exclusively pumpkin recipes for the next 3 months, but I can’t promise that there won’t be a whole lot of ’em. 😉

This granola just has a *hint* of pumpkin, so if you’re not as obsessed with the flavor as I am (ummm, WHY NOT), I think there’s a good chance you’ll still enjoy it! Lots of crunchy pecans, a hint of spice, big granola clusters, and soft, sweet dried cranberries. This granola just screams fall, and the flavors complement each other perfectly.

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: approx 12 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

Warm and cozy pumpkin spice granola with pecans and dried cranberries is the perfect way to add some fall flavor to your breakfast every morning!

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if applicable)
3 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2/3 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup milled flax seed
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
heavy pinch sea salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, flax seed, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola half way through.
Cool completely. Add cranberries and gently toss to combine. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-pecan-granola/

Vanilla Bean Coconut Pistachio Granola

August 11, 2013 · by Ari · 29 Comments

You know those people who rarely speak, and when they do everyone listens? Those quiet people who only speak out when they have something really important to say, and so you know you want to take note, soak it up, and really hear their words?

Yeah, that’s not me. I’m more on the end of talks-too-much-so-most-of-it-must-be-pretty-inconsequential. In fact, the other day, Stacey told me she knew a recipe was mine by the long, overly descriptive title. It’s the truth. And not just in recipe writing. I am a human with a lot to say, and no matter how hard I try to be one of those people that only speaks when I need to like a character on stage, I just keep talking until someone finally stops me and puts the rest of the room out of their misery. 😉

Here’s what you actually need to know about this granola:

Crunchy
Sweet
Vanilla bean flavor
Rich pistachios
Nutty coconut
Big snack-worthy clusters
Vegan
Gluten-free
Ridiculously good

Got it?

Vanilla Bean Coconut Pistachio Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: approx 12 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Vanilla Bean Coconut Pistachio Granola

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if applicable)
3 cups shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
2/3 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded unsweetened reduced fat coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
heavy pinch sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup honey or agave
2 tbsp coconut butter or coconut oil
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 tsp coconut extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce, maple syrup, honey/agave, coconut butter, vanilla bean seeds, and coconut extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola every 10-20 minutes while cooking. DO NOT skip the tossing--the pistachios can burn easily if you skip this step.
Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

http://www.arismenu.com/vanilla-bean-coconut-pistachio-granola/

“Nutella” Granola {vegan + gluten-free}

May 7, 2013 · by Ari · 21 Comments

Once upon a time, I discovered the peanut butter & Nutella sandwich. Then, I discovered the Nutella + spoon combination. And sometimes the spoon never even came to join the party. Shameless.

I can’t even have Nutella in the house these days. It’s just too tempting. Occasionally, I’ll buy it for a recipe (and then eat my oatmeal out of the empty jar and feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven), but I think it’s about time that I get to eat chocolate hazelnutty goodness for breakfast every single day. Does that not just sound like perfection?

The best part? You don’t even have to buy Nutella for this recipe, but the taste is uncanny. I took one bite after it finished cooking and quickly exclaimed “It tastes like NUTELLA!!!” Just simple granola loaded with hazelnuts with some cocoa powder added to the mix. It is not overpoweringly sweet, and it doesn’t taste like dessert. I think the sweetness is perfect, but if you want a sweeter granola, you can absolutely add some extra brown sugar, or honey, or agave.

I also discovered the secret to the biggest, fattest granola clusters–check those monsters out!! I’m always looking for the big, chunky clusters, and this time I got it right. I did not stir this granola once while it cooked. I just let it do it’s thing, flipped it around half way through, and ya know what? Everything cooked evenly, nothing burned, and I had granola clusters the size of my hand! What??? Now the problem is not eating those clusters every time I step into the pantry. It’s kind of a problem…

“Nutella” Granola

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: Approx 10 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

“Nutella” Granola

Simple and easy chocolate hazelnut granola tastes remarkably like Nutella! The big clusters and bold flavors are totally addicting and will have you constantly reaching back for more.

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if that’s important to you)
2 cups hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
heavy pinch sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey or agave
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark)
2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300. In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce, brown sugar, honey/agave, cocoa powder and coconut oil until well combined, whisking constantly. Add the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Evenly divide granola in an even layer between two large baking sheets.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 50 minutes-1 hour, turning half way through.
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I've never made a batch last any longer than that, but it's still great a month in and probably for longer.

Notes

If you'd like, you may gently stir the granola every 20 minutes while cooking. This will lead to less clusters and a finer granola. I prefer to be able to break the clusters up myself afterwards, but if you like a finer granola, then stirring will help.

http://www.arismenu.com/nutella-granola-vegan-gluten-free/

Cranberry Almond Granola

March 11, 2013 · by Ari · 13 Comments

While you’re reading this, I am currently living it up in New Orleans!

I can’t tell you what the heck I’m doing, because Steve and I left with absolutely no plan.

Okay, that’s a little bit of a lie. I had 2 plans. Bourbon and beignets. Have I ever mentioned my life revolves around food? In fact, I’ve spent the last week being suuuuuper food conscious just so I could live it up a little on this vacation. I was pretty cranky for most of the week because I reallllllly hate anything resembling a diet, but I’m pretty sure it was worth it. 😉

Okay, enough about my trip–let’s talk about granola! One day I had the brilliant idea that I was done buying things at the store that I can make myself. I made my own Larabar replacement, and granola was the next thing. I literally eat it every single day, and it is not cheap!

So then, in true Ari fashion, I tried to bake like 7 things in a 2 hour time period, declared that making things from scratch was a big waste of time, and I would immediately be going back to buying granola, and granola bars for that matter, at the store.

But after one bite of this stuff, I was sold. As I was taking pictures, I kept sneaking little nibbles. I must have eaten at least an entire serving just during my photo session!

The robust, nutty flavor is more full and bold than any granola I’ve ever bought at the store. It baked up perfectly crunchy with next to no oil in the entire batch, and the soft, sweet cranberries are the perfect touch to balance out the flavors and textures.

Then I realized that this made enough granola to last me at least a month! 12 cups of deliciousness for about 1 hour of time? Totally worth it!

**Note: I wanted to add dehydrated apple chips to this, but I couldn’t find any. If you have them–they would be delicious!

Cranberry Almond Granola

yield approx 12 cups

adapted from David Lebovitz

5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if that’s important to you)
3 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup finely shredded unsweetened reduced fat coconut
1/3 cup milled flax seed
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch cloves
heavy pinch sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey or agave
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, seeds, coconut, brown sugar and seasonings.
In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce, maple syrup, honey/agave, and coconut oil until well combined, whisking constantly.
Add the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola every 10-20 minutes while cooking. The more often you toss it, the less clusters you will have.
Cool completely, then add cranberries. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!

Cinnamon Chip Granola Cookies

April 19, 2012 · by Ari · 13 Comments

I love chips. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, kale chips, you name it. It’s kind of like my love affair with all things named ______ butter (peanut, cookie, fig, apple…). Cinnamon chips are hard to find, so if you happen to catch them, I suggest stocking up, because they are ridiculously delicious. Way back around Christmastime, Nicole made some pretty awesome cinnamon chip cookies, and ever since I’ve been thinking about my own cinnamon chips burning a hole in my pantry.

Cinnamon chips and granola. Does that make you as excited as it makes me???

It kind of made me skip around the kitchen, patting myself on the back, declaring myself a genius, and certain I need to start getting patents for all my great ideas. Don’t burst my bubble, okay? It’s my blog, so let’s just all agree to pretend I’m brilliant. I don’t take rejection well. It’s bad for my self esteem.

Thanks for sticking with me through that. You guys are awesome.

That’s why I made you this present.

From me to you.

Except I may have eaten them all.

At least I wrapped them up first, right?

I couldn’t help it. They outsides were crunchy, and so was the granola, and the insides were gooey with melty cinnamon chips. Can you blame me for eating an entire batch of cookies??? Okay, this guy helped. You have to feed your photographer right? Anyway, you should make some. You don’t have to tie your own cookies in a bow, and you can eat them all yourself and refuse to feel guilty about it, just like me.

Cinnamon Chip Granola Cookies

yield 15 cookies

1/4 cup apple butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup granola of choice (I used this one, and it is ridiculously good)
1/4 cup cinnamon chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat apple butter, brown sugar and Splenda together until combined. Beat in egg substitute, vanilla and almond.
Add cinnamon, baking soda and salt, and beat until combined. Beat in flour.
Fold in oats, followed by cinnamon chips and granola.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out tablespoon sized cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with greased parchment paper.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, turning half way through to ensure even cooking.
Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Note: I made the glaze for fun. The cookies are equally delicious without it, but if you’re sitting there thinking “I WANT THAT GLAZE ON MY COOKIES!!!” I took about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tbs hot water and a dash of almond extract and just mixed it together 😉