Recipe creation is a funny thing sometimes.
At times, I come up with an idea for a recipe moments before and I just throw ingredients together. Other times, I have a recipe in my head for weeks and weeks that I just have a feeling will be a winner that I will want to share on here, but it takes me awhile to actually make and photograph it.
The latter was the case with this granola. When I randomly threw a bag of dried blueberries into my shopping cart one day, the idea of making granola with them immediately popped into my head… but then I wound up eating all the blueberries before I could get to making any granola. Oops.
So then I had to wait until the next time I found myself in a food store with dried blues to make this recipe. But, the next time I went to make this granola, I realized that I was out of honey. And agave nectar. And brown rice syrup. And any other sweetener I would use for granola. Damn it.
Last weekend, I finally had everything from the ingredient list I had made up in my head on hand, and I was in the mood for creating yumminess in the kitchen…. so my blueberry almond granola finally came to fruition. And it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. Yea!
I love blueberries. Did you know that blues are packed with antioxidants and a great source of fuel, particularly for our hearts, digestive systems and brains? Their high amounts of phenols are what make them a brain-healthy food, protecting our noggins from things like degeneration, neurotoxicity and oxidative stress.
Speaking of nourishing foods, I also included some flaxseeds and raw almonds into the mix, which give the granola a nutty crunch. Old fashioned oats, honey, and cinnamon are other key ingredients in this granola that are staples in my kitchen – as in, I eat them all almost daily.
Are you more of a granola clusters person, or do you prefer it to be more cereal-like and broken up? I definitely like a mix of both, depending on what I’m eating it with. For instance, if I’m grabbing a handful of granola, I want a few big clusters; but if I topping a yogurt bowl with some, I prefer my granola to be smaller pieces.
After you bake this granola, you allow it to cool a bit before using a spatula to remove the granola from the baking sheet, and you can break the granola down however you’d like. I definitely left some big clusters in the mix among my cereal-like granola!
A granola cluster!
Blueberry Almond Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats certified gluten free, if necessary
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 TBSP whole flaxseeds
- 2 TBSP oil, such as avocado, safflower or olive oils
- 1 TSP cinnamon
- 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- 1/4 TSP salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, oil, cinnamon, and salt over medium low heat. Stir often until the mixture starts to bubble. Mix in the vanilla extract and promptly remove from heat.
- Combine the oats, blueberries, almonds, and flaxseeds in a medium bowl, stirring to mix the ingredients up nicely. Pour the honey mixture over top, and stir with a wooden spoon to evenly combine.
- Coat a baking sheet with baking spray. Spread granola mixture evenly onto the pan.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes, until golden. Avoid stirring!
- Remove from heat and allow the granola to cool completely before breaking it up into clusters.
- Transfer to a large jar or bowl and enjoy! For longterm use, store in an airtight container at room temp.
Notes
Tell me…
Because I don’t know a soul whose a granola hater… do you like your granola in clusters or smaller pieces?
OOOO I want that granola in my mouth. I am definitely a granola person!! I have never made granola with blueberries before. It’s genius! Almonds are my favorite nut in granola too, so I know I would love this!
Blueberries in granola is SO good. I hope that you try it out!
Mmm…look at that big sexy cluster! haha Sorry, I just love granola and this one looks awesome! I’m especially a fan of clusters, if you couldn’t already tell. 😉
I rarely just throw something together last minute for the blog since I have to plan to make and shoot things on the weekend so the latter is usually always the case for me.
Yeah, I think you’re more organized than me Sarah! 😉 Sometimes I have all of my posts planned out for the next 2 weeks, then sometimes I’m just throwing ideas and recipes together at the last minute.
It’s been so long since I’ve made granola. This looks awesome – I love dried blueberries especially!
Thanks, Laura! Speaking of granola and since I just read your post about the Little Italy Mercato – have you tried any granola there yet? There used to be a really yummy granola maker there!
You can’t beat homemade granola. I love that yours have blueberries in them too. Delicious breakfast!
Oh yea, I’ve mixed this granola with Cheerios or Kashi cereal + fresh blueberries multiple times now for breakfast!
I am the same as you, I love granola clusters to munch on but if am using it as a topping on fruit yogurt or baked apples I like it to be loose. I have attempted to make granola two seperate times in my life and I was not happy with either attempt. The first one should of been cooked more and the second one was over cooked just enjough to be considered burnt. I hesitant to taking a nother wack at it but maybe the third times the charm.
Oh no! Sometimes it’s hard to tell when granola is done cooking since it sets more once you remove it from the oven….. In any event, I hope that you try this one! Let me know if you give it a whirl 🙂
This looks so good! I made granola last week and failed miserably. HA.
Haha, oh no! We all have those kitchen failures – heaven knows I have them ALL THE TIME.
I like a mix of both too! I ‘ve been buying granola a lot lately but I really should make my own because it is too expensive!
Definitely, I hope you try out this recipe Britt! 🙂
I wish I was more of a granola aficionado 😉 I never ever make it even though it looks so easy and simple, but then when they have free samples I am all OVER it. Blueberry granola is one of my favorites, actually, so this looks awesome! I love granola for a snack. I can’t eat it for breakfast (for some reason it makes me a little nauseous if it’s the first thing in my stomach) but it’s so good for a snack.
Hell yea, granola makes for a great snack! Ever slice an apple, spread on some nut butter, then sprinkle some granola on top? SO GOOD.
GRANOLA used to be my JAMMMMM!!! That’s all I would eat in boarding school and the chef would get SO MAD AT ME! lol
Ha. Now you’ve swapped granola for your salmon addiction eh?!!
This looks so good Nicole- I love the visual ingredient picture! I always do that with ingredients too- Have an idea then go to make it and bam. Mssing something.
Thanks, Arman! Ugh yea, missing an important ingredient is a never-ending problem of mine…. Just today I went to the store to pick up one ingredient (molasses) for a recipe I’m planning on making tomorrow!