22 May Wendy Jo's Basic Granola Recipe

Growing up, granola was for hippies.

As kids, we had the traditional sugar-ladened cereal with an occasional box of Grape Nuts thrown into the mix. Then it became all oats and bran, sticks and twigs….but not granola.

As a young adult, store bought granola became mainstream and, being the mainstream young adult, I bought it.  It was touted as a health food after all…until further investigation when people found that all granolas were NOT alike. I quickly realized that some granolas had the same amount of sugar as many of my favorite childhood cereals. I passed on the whole idea of granola. 

Today, however, I routinely make my own granola, thanks to my colleague Wendy Jo Peterson. Wendy Jo is an amazing chef and registered dietitian/nutritionist who has a similar philosophy as me with regard to empowering people to feel confident in the kitchen. In 2014, we teamed up for the Fearless Kitchen cooking class and taught the” home cook to eat and be well”. At class, Wendy Jo included this simple granola recipe—and I’ve never looked back. 

Don’t let the almond oil scare you. Spectrum brand is widely available and worth the few extra pennies.  As far as nuts go, think the usuals like almonds or walnuts, but don’t forget about pistachios (chop them!), pine nuts or even a few macadamia nuts for good measure. 

The Recipe Redux assignment this month was to post a kitchen staple I now make from scratch-but in the past I purchased. Here is Wendy Jo’s Basic Granola recipe with fun additions, if one so chooses to include. (don’t forget chocolate chips—add those after baked granola has cooled, though)

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 As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!