Running out of homemade granola during blueberry season is a capital offense at our house. One of the reasons we tend to run out is that homemade granola is so good we enjoy eating it out of hand. This feature makes it an ideal snack food, as well as a terrific yogurt topping or breakfast cereal.

Below are two versions. One calls for sweetened condensed milk. If you prefer not to use canned milk, or any milk at all, the other version instead uses eggs and sugar. The end results are quite similar. Both versions make about two quarts of granola. If that’s more than you would use within a couple of weeks, freeze half to keep it fresh until you need it.

Milk Version of Homemade Granola

2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
1½ cups walnuts, pecans, or almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
¾ cup wheatgerm
¼ cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons milled flax
¼ teaspoon salt
1 can condensed milk
¼ cup oil
2 cups mixed dried fruit

Chop the nuts and combine them with the remaining dry ingredients. Stir in the condensed milk. Then stir in the oil of your choice. I like peanut oil, but you can use whatever type of oil you prefer.

Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for about one hour or until the granola turns golden, stirring every 15 minutes. Watch toward the end to make sure it doesn’t burn.

While the granola is in the oven, prepare two cups of dried fruit mix. You can use store-bought dried fruit, or fruit you dried yourself; we dry our own apples, and we buy bananas and peaches to dry when they’re on sale. Cut larger pieces, such as dried apples or bananas, into smaller bits using kitchen shears. Include some fruits that are tart and some that are sweet.

My Favorite Combination Of Dried Fruit Mix

½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried apples or peaches
½ cup dates or dried bananas

As soon as the granola comes out of the oven, and while it’s still piping hot, spread the fruit mix over the top and then stir it in. Let the granola cool before packing it into an airtight canister.

Egg Version of Homemade Granola

2  cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
1½ cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
¾ cup wheatgerm
¼ cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons milled flax
2 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup oil
1 t vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups dried fruit

Chop the nuts and combine them with the oats, coconut, wheatgerm, wheat bran, and flax. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar (you can use any kind of sugar you prefer), oil, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.

Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 55 minutes or until the granola is brown and crisp, stirring every 15 minutes. Watch carefully toward the end to make sure it doesn’t burn — if you use brown sugar, as I do, the color starts out brown and gets just slightly darker when it’s done.

Prepare your dried fruit mixture as for the first version. Stir it in while the granola is still hot from the oven, then let the granola cool before packing it into an airtight canister.

How to Enjoy Homemade Granola

At our house we enjoy homemade granola for breakfast, served with chilled raw goat milk provided by our Nubian dairy goats. Although adding more fruit isn’t necessary, we like to add fresh fruit to the cereal bowl when we have it — strawberries, bananas, and especially homegrown blueberries.

If you are used to eating store-bought cereal, serve about half the amount of homemade granola you would normally eat of bought cereal. A little goes long way, as this granola is so much more nutritious and satisfying than anything you will find at the supermarket.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to learn about goat milk benefits, growing strawberries and how do blueberries grow? from Countryside!