Secrets of making granola

Granola is a dry South American breakfast made from cereals, dried fruits and nuts, which has become a healthy eating trend in our country. It all started in the 19th century with the priest Sylvester Graham, a fan of proper food, who invented bran flour that was not bleached. A little later, from Graham’s flour, the desired breakfast called “Pellet” emerged. These were delicious pieces of whole wheat dough baked in the oven. Modern granola originated in the 1960s and was based on baked flakes. At the moment, granola is also produced in compressed form. Snack bars made from flakes with nuts and dried fruits, in terms of their composition and beneficial properties, actually do not differ from the crumbly consistency. Let's try to make granola at home!

What is granola and what do you eat it with?

There are various recipes for granola, but flakes remain a constant ingredient - oatmeal, wheat, rye, rice, buckwheat. Dates, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, nuts, seeds, honey, fruits, berries, candied fruits, from time to time spices and pieces of chocolate are added to them. All ingredients are mixed in random proportions and baked in the oven until crispy. At the same time, the granola is mixed during baking to maintain its crumbly texture. Thanks to heat treatment, this dish acquires the most catchy and rich taste, and the honey caramelizes. The advantage of homemade granola is that you can eat the foods you enjoy in all quantities. In general, it is usually customary to combine cereal, dried fruits and nuts in equal proportions. If you associate muesli and granola, the differences are very significant. Muesli is not always baked, and fruit and nut additives act as a special addition to it, nothing more.

Granola is usually served with cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, milk, fresh fruit and syrups. A little granola for breakfast - and you will be full until lunch, and your body will be provided with the necessary beneficial substances.

How to cook granola: secrets and subtleties

Making granola is not difficult even for novice cooks. All you need is ingredients, a mixing bowl and spoon, an oven, a baking sheet or baking dish.

Traditional recipes usually use rolled oats, but if you add barley, rice, buckwheat, wheat or other cereals, the dish will only benefit! A couple of tablespoons of sprouted wheat or bran will also enrich the taste of the snack, making it more healthy and satisfying.

The nuts should be previously chopped into pieces, but not ground in a blender. By quantity - approximately half the mass of the flakes or more, according to your taste.

It is better to take a watery sweetener - honey, fruit or chocolate syrup. They coat cereals, nuts and dried fruits sparingly, unlike sugar. But if you add a little coffee sugar to the syrup or honey, the granola will come out crispy, and this will give it a zest.

Don’t forget about vegetable oil - it brings out the flavor of the ingredients and prevents the granola from turning into a sticky mess. The best solution is olive or coconut oil, with which the snack will acquire a pleasant smell and taste. If you mix the butter with the whipped egg white ahead of time, the granola will be especially tasty and crunchy, and the protein will help bind the flakes and nuts better.

Be sure to add salt to the granola, but only slightly - this will make it very catchy and special. In addition to nuts, use pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds, sesame seeds, millet and coconut flakes. Suitable spices include cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or the most “salty” flavors - rosemary, ginger, sage.

How to create granola: tips from the chef

First, the dry ingredients are mixed, then the watery ingredients are added to them and the mixture is well mixed. Next, the granola is placed on a baking sheet with high sides and goes into the oven. The temperature and baking time depend on the composition of the snack and the features of the oven. From time to time it is necessary to stir the mass to maintain its crumbly texture. When the appetizer acquires a brown color and a divine smell, it is ready. Let it cool directly on the baking sheet, and later put it in glass jars with airtight lids.

Add dried fruits only after baking, otherwise they will become very hard and dry. In addition to the usual dried apricots, dates, prunes, raisins, you can take dried apples, mangoes, papaya, pineapple, figs, dried cherries and berries. If you are preparing chocolate granola, then cocoa powder can be added before heat treatment, and chocolate chips - only after baking into the cooled mass.

Combine different flavors and experiment so that your breakfasts always bring pleasure and don’t get boring. But do not mix too many ingredients, otherwise the taste will be lost. Granola is convenient because you can take it to work, on trips and hikes. It perfectly relieves hunger and satisfies the need for dessert.

The calorie content of granola depends on the composition, but even on a diet you can indulge in this delicacy if you don’t overdo it with honey and nuts. The usefulness of granola does not cause any doubt, because it is prepared only from natural whole products.

Nut granola with flaxseed oil

There are various methods for making granola at home. One of them looks something like this. Combine 200 g rolled oats, 70 g crushed almonds, 50 g pumpkin seeds, 40 g peanuts, 50 g sunflower seeds in a bowl. In a heat-resistant container, mix 50 ml of water and the same amount of linseed oil, bring them to a boil, and then add 150 g of honey. Mix well, pour the liquid into the dry mixture and stir well again. Preheat the oven to 140°C, line a baking sheet with parchment, grease it with linseed oil and lay out the granola. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Serve with natural yogurt and fruit.

Apple granola with seeds

There is nothing tastier and healthier than apple granola, the recipe for which is suitable for making at home.

Mix 350 g of rolled oats, 60 g of snow-white sesame seeds, 50 g of sunflower seeds, 40 g of almonds and 1 tsp. cinnamon without a slide. Peel and seed 2 sweet apples and puree the pulp. Mix applesauce with 3 tbsp. l. honey and 3 tbsp. l. olive oil. Now combine the dry and watery products and mix them thoroughly again.

The oven should already be preheated to 130 °C.

Place baking paper on a baking sheet, place cereal with apples on it, put the granola in the oven for half an hour and stir for any 5 minutes.

Cool the granola and add it to cottage cheese, drink or smoothie for a delicious and healthy super breakfast!

Granola with mango and reddish currants

This necessary dessert will appeal to all the gourmands who watch their own figure. Grate the mango on a small grater and grind 150 g of all nuts in a mortar. Squeeze the juice from 250 g of reddish currants.

Mix 200 g of oatmeal, 100 g of rye flakes, crushed nuts and 50 g of all seeds - sunflower, pumpkin or sesame. Add 120 g of honey, 60 g of sunflower oil, a pinch of salt and nutmeg to the currant juice. Place the bowl with the watery ingredients on the heat and heat, stirring constantly. Once the mass becomes homogeneous, remove it from the heat, add 1 tbsp. l. orange zest and mango pulp. Mix the mixture well and combine it with dry foods - cereal, nuts and seeds.

Granola: recipe by Yulia Vysotskaya

Yulia Vysotskaya loves granola and prepares it only from those flakes that need to be cooked for at least 5 minutes. She uses brown sugar as a sweetener, which gives the snack a burnt caramel smell. Her favorite recipe contains cinnamon, but it can be replaced with cocoa powder, and instead of honey, maple syrup is good from time to time. She advises using sea salt and always coarse salt. It’s nice when the sweet taste has special salty notes.

So, mix 300 g of oatmeal, 200 g of whole almonds, 100 g of sunflower seeds, 80 g of sesame seeds, 50 g of coffee sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and ground ginger.

Combine 6 tbsp. l. honey and 2 tbsp. l. good vegetable oil. Stir honey and butter into cereal with nuts and add 250 g of raisins. Place the mixture on a baking tray covered with baking paper - it must be greased with butter.

Bake the granola for 40 minutes at 170°C, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cool and enjoy this healthy and tasty snack!

Once you learn how to make granola, you will understand that healthy eating can be very tasty and enjoyable. Well, you shouldn’t give up sweets, because granola is the most delicious dessert in the world!

Granola: Everything You Need to Know About the Popular Breakfast Breakfast + The Ultimate Recipe

A few years ago, not enough people knew what granola was, but now it can be purchased in almost any hypermarket. Afisha Daily talked with Lena Naumova, the founder of the Granola Lab brand, about whether there is a difference between granola and muesli, why it is so expensive, how healthy it is and how it is prepared.

Granola is not muesli

There are many different versions of how granola originated. According to the most widespread one, it was invented by the South American nutritionist Sylvester Graham in the 19th century. It was made from corn flakes, which were simply called granules - hence the modern word “granola”.

Naturally, the emergence of granola was preceded by muesli - these are identical products, if only because they both have flakes and cereals in their base. But despite all this, they are completely different.

Firstly, granola is a baked product, and muesli is a mixture of dry ingredients that is not cooked. That’s why granola crunches appetizingly even when poured with warm milk, but muesli does not. By the way, they are often steamed with hot liquid before serving.

Secondly, they have different proportions of ingredients in their composition. Muesli usually contains more of a cereal base and flakes, and the filler - fruits, nuts, berries - is completely insignificant. The fundamental rule for making granola is that for one part of the flakes there is one part of the filler.

Despite the fact that granola can now be found in almost all stores, we are faced with the fact that people simply do not know what it is and why it costs more than muesli. The cost, in addition to the proportion of ingredients, is also affected by the longest production cycle. For muesli you just need to mix all the dry ingredients, but for granola they need to be properly prepared, baked, cooled - all these are additional costs.

On the shelves you can often find imported granola, which sometimes costs as much as 800–900 rubles per package. Russian-made granola is even more affordable; it can be purchased for 250–300 rubles.

Granola - is it healthy?

The main task of granola as a food product is to saturate the body and give it energy. Its base is cereal, which means it contains mostly leisurely carbohydrates. Therefore, it is best to consume granola for breakfast, when you need to recharge your batteries for the coming day.

Also, for example, in the USA (the United States of America is a state in North America) it is popular as a snack. When you don’t have time to actually eat, this bar can quickly satisfy your hunger and replenish your energy supply; you can take it with you on the road.

Granola can be made healthier if you add other nutritional ingredients to it - for example, chia seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds rich in calcium, fiber, amino acids. Nutritionists recommend including all these products in your diet, and granola is the perfect product to start doing this.

But do not forget that granola has a high calorie content and, in addition to leisurely carbohydrates, also contains frisky carbohydrates. 100 grams contain from 350 to 450 kilocalories, so it is better not to lean on it uncontrollably.

What are they made of?

The universal granola formula is cereal + topping + filler.

The most commonly consumed cereal is rolled oats. It differs in the width of the flakes: the thicker, the longer it takes to cook. To make granola we use the thickest ones. Firstly, they are healthier and more satisfying because they are digested more slowly. Secondly, during the baking process they retain their structure, do not get soggy or dry out, and turn out crispy.

In addition to oatmeal, you can use wheat, rye, buckwheat, spelled, amaranth and virtually any others - you can make granola from all the same things that you can make porridge from.

At Granola Lab we also use popped grains as a base: wheat, rice, quinoa, for example. They give granola an airiness. It will not be possible to undermine grain at home; this requires special equipment. We also buy ready-made ones.

The sweet topping is what connects and glues the granola ingredients together. Most often the topping base is honey, but because it is an allergen - and besides, quite a lot of people do not eat it for various reasons - in some types of granola we replace it with date syrup. You can also use Jerusalem artichoke syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup, and so on. To create the least sweet and nutritious granola, and the most exciting taste, you can take less honey or syrup and add fruit puree or juice to it.

As a filler, you can use dried fruits, dried berries, nuts, seeds, freeze-dried fruits and berries. In our own production, we abandoned dried fruits - storing them in huge quantities in a warehouse provoked the emergence of small pests, and this is unacceptable. Therefore, at the moment we have completely switched to freeze-dried products - they are not inferior to dried fruits in taste. But at home, when we are talking about a small production volume, naturally, you can eat everything: dried fruits, freeze-dried fruits and berries.

How do they do it?

The production process consists of 5 main steps: combining dry ingredients, making topping, kneading, baking and combining with additional components.

If you add dried fruits or dried berries, it is better to do this after baking so that they do not become hard, giving their own juice to the flakes. All other dry ingredients are combined in the first step and mixed with the topping. If you use only honey or syrup, you just need to warm it up slightly. If you decide to add juice, puree and spices, do it at the same step, heat and bring until smooth. It is necessary to mix diligently, with effort, to combine all the ingredients together.

Next, it’s important to spread the mixture onto a baking sheet in a thin layer so that it bakes perfectly. At the moment, almost all ovens have a convection mode, when increased air circulation occurs in the oven. It is perfectly suitable for baking granola, but if it is not there, it is not a failure, just stir the granola more often during the process (once every 10-15 minutes, in convection mode - once every 20 minutes). At a temperature of 150 degrees, granola is usually baked for 1–1.5 hours, but it will be even tastier if you increase the baking time and lower the temperature to 110–120 degrees.

After baking, the granola must be completely cooled and mixed with dried fruits and dried berries.

How granola differs from muesli: useful characteristics, manufacturing rules

In Russia, granola appeared relatively recently and immediately gained popularity among fans of a healthy lifestyle.

Almost all lovers of healthy eating are concerned about the fundamental question about the differences between muesli and granola. They are very similar on the outside, but differ in recipe and production method.

Muesli

Dry muesli consistencies entered the healthy diet almost immediately with granola. The product was invented by Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner. The invention was needed to improve the diet of unhealthy patients. Amazingly, to this day muesli is an indispensable attribute of a healthy diet.

Part of the secret to the success of muesli lies in the fact that, unlike porridge, it does not need to be cooked. It’s quite simple to pour the product with milk, water, yogurt, kefir or juice and let it sit for 30 minutes.

The raw materials for the production of muesli are rolled seeds, oat flakes, dried fruits and nuts.

Granola

The main and most attractive feature of granola is its composition. Of course, there are traditional recipes with hazelnuts or oatmeal. But the production of granola almost constantly borders on tests, the result of which are extraordinary options with a pleasant and fresh taste.

The traditional scheme for making granola involves mixing cereals with natural juice, honey, dried fruits, nuts and a drop of vegetable oil.

Granola is offered to the user both in the form of a bar and in a crumbly consistency. It is important that both commercial forms imply preparatory processing of raw materials at medium temperature. Otherwise, the flakes will not be crumbly.

Differences between granola and muesli

The products are beneficial to human health and have a certain external similarity. But lovers of healthy eating need to know that there is a significant difference between muesli and granola:

The main difference is that muesli is not cooked during the production process. For this reason, for us, the product is raw flakes. They can be filled with water or milk and eaten. Granola undergoes heat treatment during the production process, becoming the finished product at the exit.
Muesli contains nuts, starch and wheat flour, which significantly increases the calorie content of the product. In addition, a lot of sugar or chocolate is added to muesli. The granola recipe includes honey, fruit syrup, and from time to time a little vegetable oil.
The bulk of the raw material in the production of muesli is grain flakes. A small amount of dried fruits or nuts is added to enhance the taste. Granola consists of 50% berries and nuts. This definitely changes its consumer characteristics. Granola is the most nutritious food compared to muesli.
The question of which food contains more calories is a subject of particular controversy. There is a worldview that the calorie content of granola is higher due to the technology of its production. Obviously, calorie content is influenced not only by the development of production, but also by the ingredients included in the final product. If you analyze the calorie content indicated on the regular packaging of store-bought muesli and compare it with similar indicators of homemade granola, then muesli will prevail.

Taking into account the composition and manufacturing technology, it can be argued that granola is a healthier breakfast than muesli.

How to eat granola correctly?

Granola is a complete breakfast. The product, which has the form of a crumbly consistency, is simply dumped into a plate and poured with milk. In almost one minute, breakfast is ready to eat.

In addition, the product can be combined with various berries, pieces of fruit, seeds or nuts, and added to smoothies. Granola offers a wide scope for food tests.

You can always take a bar or bag of granola flakes with you and use it if necessary for a quick and healthy snack. Granola is a completely finished product.

How to make granola?

The secret to making homemade granola is simple. Nuts, dried fruits and whole grain flakes should be mixed with date syrup or honey and baked for 40 minutes in the oven.

The product may contain various components, which affects the calorie content of granola and its taste. The absence of sugar in the recipe and the inevitable heat treatment of raw materials remain constant.

The main difference between granola and muesli is its just the right composition. The product is free of sugar, starch, and wheat flour, unlike muesli.

In addition, granola is a completely ready-made product that does not require the addition of yogurt or milk. This is an obvious advantage that makes granola a comfortable option for a quick snack not only at home, but also while traveling or at work. The best option for a healthy and low-calorie breakfast is not difficult to choose, taking into account the different recipes used in the production of granola.

What is granola and what do you eat it with?

Fans of American television series have probably noticed: the main characters occasionally have breakfast with a sandwich or a boiled egg. More often they crunch into colored rings or something similar to muesli. Meet granola - a nutritious but light mixture of cereal flakes, supplemented with various nuts, dried fruits, honey and even chocolate chips. A tasty and pleasant start to the day!

It is logical that the fashion for granola was first captured by fitness bloggers, and then by grocery chains. A simple breakfast cereal combines complex carbohydrates with vegetable fats and a small amount of protein - just enough to wake you up without overloading your stomach.

Granola and muesli - what's the difference?

If you go shopping and compare the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, there are practically no differences. But there is a difference. And it lies in the method of processing the ingredients.

For regular muesli, whole grain cereals are used - they are baked from time to time, but most brands simply produce dried flakes. During the day, simply pour boiling water over them or add them to yogurt or milk.

Composition and calorie content

The calorie content of sweetened granola from the store is 400-450 kcal per 100 grams of dry product. The figure is significant, but it is ensured by indigestible fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids and a relatively small percentage of fast carbohydrates (usually from candied fruits or honey). Lipids (fats) account for 20% of the composition. With all this, their base consists of “healthy” vegetable oils: not only sunflower, but also rapeseed, sesame, hemp and nut. The mixture does not contain cholesterol (Insoluble in water, soluble in fats and organic solvents.) , which means it is not dangerous for blood vessels and the heart.

In terms of mineral composition, granola is richer than regular cereals. A set of various components gives the body:

potassium;
calcium;
sodium;
iron;
a number of rare earth mineral parts.

In addition to minerals, flakes and grains contain vitamins (a group of low-molecular organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature) A, D, C and a B complex of vitamins.

What are the benefits of granola?

Traditional granola without excess oil and sugar is a good source of energy. Carbohydrate-free breakfasts are good for rapid weight loss, and granola not only gives you performance, but also a good mood.

What else is good about such consistencies?

complex carbohydrates and a low glycemic index restore insulin levels, preventing them from rising and falling sharply
fiber helps digestion and eliminates the feeling of heaviness in the stomach;
omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on intellectual activity and maintain concentration until lunch;
Even a small portion of granola fills you up perfectly, so you can have cereal for breakfast even on a diet - the main thing is not to overdo it with calories in the evening.
Folic acid and thiamine help protect against stress.

Russian manufacturing companies use processed oatmeal, sweet candied fruits and sweet syrup as a base, and then bake the mixture until golden brown. Small “family” industries also use additives - but natural ones: dates, berries, honey, sesame seeds, nuts and seeds dried without oil. The consistency can be baked or dried - if it is necessary to reduce the calorie content, but maintain the “crunch”.

Ready granola can be stored refrigerated for up to 30 days. If you prepared it yourself, cool the mixture and place it in a dry, clean container, such as a glass or plastic container.

What do buyers say?

We asked our regular customers about their favorite granola and learned a lot of interesting things.

Marina, 26 years old.

I take the most ordinary oatmeal granola, YesFit. It contains the least amount of carbohydrates – 27 grams. 3 tablespoons is enough for a glass of yogurt. A good snack at work when you don’t have enough time (and I always don’t have enough, because I work as a choreographer at an art school).

Olga, 28 years old.

I didn’t expect ordinary cereal to turn out to be such an exciting dish. Granola is also appreciated by my husband, who eats it before training. It’s being used up quickly, but at least I finished snacking on the buns, which is already great.

Oksana, 25 years old.

A good dish, although not for every day. One granola for breakfast is not enough for me, so I continue to eat porridge with water. But for trains or bus travel it’s very decent and cheap.

Diet Granola Recipes

You can prepare granola at home if you have an oven or microwave. For the most common recipes, you need flakes and at least some kind of sweetener; for dietary consistencies, coconut oil, carob or acai berries may be useful.

You can bake granola if you are willing to watch it in the oven, stir it thoroughly and inspect the crust. It’s not always possible to create a perfect one – without burnt flakes, moderately crispy and black. But this is a good method to prepare the desired snack even for those who are not into cooking.

The basic rule of granola: flakes should be approximately 2/3 of the total size. Honey, berries, nuts and even oil can be added by eye - to taste.

Granola without honey

Ingredients:

coarse oat flakes;
coconut oil (for frying);
raw sunflower seeds;
raisin;
figs;
cinnamon.

Chop the washed figs and nuts and add to dried fruits, seeds and cereal. Stir until a homogeneous paste comes out. Place the resulting viscous mass on parchment and bake at 150º for 20-25 minutes. Stir the granola for any 5-7 minutes.

Granola without sugar

Ingredients:

coarse oatmeal;
any fresh berries;
1 tsp each grated ginger and cinnamon (to taste);
nuts (and seeds);
3-5 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

Mix dry ingredients: nuts, seeds, cereal. Add ground spices to taste. Add vegetable oil. Place on parchment and bake in an oven preheated to 160º for 30-40 minutes. Stir the granola for any 10 minutes. Decorate the finished mixture with dried fruits or berries.

Homemade granola with honey

Ingredients:

coarse oatmeal;
nuts or seeds (you can eat assorted);
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
coconut flakes;
dry berries (preferably assorted);
maple syrup – 2 tbsp. l.;
vanilla;
cinnamon to taste.

Mix dry ingredients separately: nuts, coconut and cereal. In another container, combine maple syrup, honey and butter, heat until the mixture becomes watery, remove from heat and add to the dry mixture. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Baking time – 15-20 minutes, subject to stirring.

Diet granola without oil

Ingredients:

oat flakes;
dry grated carrots or carrot chips;
dried cranberries;
rye flakes;
honey;
cinnamon and coconut flakes;
cellulose.

Mix the ingredients until smooth. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Stir for any 5-7 minutes, and after cooking, leave in the switched off oven to dry.

How to eat granola

The question of what and how to eat granola with is not empty or idle. If you have tried to switch to granola from fruits and even cereals, you will find the mixture very hard on the stomach.

Therefore, even with dietary granola you need to get used to it evenly. The best option is to alternate granola and regular breakfasts. If you are not afraid of fast carbohydrates, snack on granola with berries or orange. Need protein? Take a boiled egg or a slice of cheese.

Are there any healthy mueslis?

The wealth of fast-acting carbohydrates in industrially produced flakes makes you doubt the usefulness of muesli. Excess nuts and fast sugars really harm your figure. But if you can find a mixture without sweet powder, there will be no harm.

For example, muesli without sugar - with mulberry, honey or Jerusalem artichoke - is comparable in nutrients to a bowl of porridge with water. Their average calorie content is about 300 - 350 kcal per 100 g. And the most strict fitness options may contain even less - 160 - 220 kcal per 100 grams.