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This is the second granola recipe I have ever made for myself, and I am now officially in love with making my own granola. It is so much tastier than what I buy in the store and I can personalize it with ingredients that I like. It is also easy to ensure that what you are making is a healthy and sensible snack because you have control over the quantity and quality of what is being used.

My first experience with granola was Ellie Krieger’s nutty granola. Then a few weeks ago I saw this Strawberry Banana granola over at our good friend lisa is cooking. The original recipe is by none other than Michael Ruhlman, so it already had winning status in my book before I even made it.

I was so pleased with this way this granola came out. Basically, you create a fruit puree that you mix with your granola ingredients and then bake it low and slow until all the liquid has been absorbed into the oats. This creates a really lovely subtle fruity flavor to complement the richness of the nuts, which is all balanced out by some flavorful dried cherries.

I altered the recipe a bit to scale it down (the original recipe makes an enormous amount) and I also lightened it up and eliminated the refined sugar. One important thing to note for this recipe is not to use more liquid than called for. If there is too much liquid the granola will start to burn before it is all absorbed and then you will have burnt and soggy granola. Let’s just say I really made this granola twice, with the first burnt and soggy batch going straight into the garbage.

Follow up:

Strawberry Banana Granola
original recipe by Michael Ruhlman
adapted by Sara at imafoodblog.com

• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup strawberries
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly grated nutmeg to taste
• 3 1/2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Combine the banana, strawberries, honey, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a blender and blend until thoroughly smooth.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients except for the dried fruit and mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour the fruit sauce over the oat mixture and stir until it is all evenly mixed.
4. Bake for 45-60 minutes stirring about every 15-20 minutes.
5. When the mixture has cooled, add the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.