Not-Too-Sweet Granola

New year, new breakfasts. This granola is subtle, with only a touch of sugar. The oats (soaked in buttermilk) plus all the nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, take the lead on flavor. Perfect with yogurt, or eaten by the handful.

I'm not a huge yogurt fan, partly because of its consistency and partly because a serving of granola is so pathetic and tiny. And sweet. Seriously. If you check the sugar content on granola it's through the roof. So, I set out to come up with a granola that's delicious and full of flavor but low in sugar content.

I based this off of Serious Eats' granola recipe, which uses buttermilk to soften the oats before baking. Buttermilk's acidity keeps the oats from browning too quickly and its low fat nature prevents everything from feeling too heavy.

Recipe inspiration from Serious Eats

Ingredients

Granola

3 1/2 cups / 340 grams old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup / 40 grams wheat germ
3 tablespoons / 30 grams ground flax seeds
1 heaping tablespoon / 15 grams chia seeds
1 cup / 225 grams buttermilk
2 tablespoons / 30 grams cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon / 2 grams salt

Fruit & Nuts

3/4 cup / 120 grams raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup / 70 grams chopped almonds
1/2 cup / 60 grams chopped walnuts
1/2 cup / 30 grams unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup / 115 grams dried apricots
1/2 cup / 57 grams dried cranberries
 

Preparation

Granola: In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, wheat germ, flax seeds, and chia. Toss with a flexible spatula to combine, then stir in buttermilk. Cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and set aside until oats are stiff and dry, about 20 minutes (the chia will look a little fuzzy, but that's normal). Stir in sugar and salt, cover, and let stand until the mixture looks loose and damp from the dissolved sugar, about 30 minutes.

Fruit & Nuts: Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F. Combine pumpkin seeds, chopped almonds, walnuts, and coconut flakes on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan and toast until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, toss with oil, then sprinkle with salt; reserve the parchment-lined half-sheet pan. Stir in dried apricots and dried cranberries.

Bake: Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. When the sugar has dissolved, scrape oats onto the parchment-lined half-sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until uniformly golden brown and dry to the touch, about 100 minutes, pausing every 25 minutes or so to take the mixture from the oven to stir well with a pair of forks.

When the oats are golden brown and dry to the touch, transfer to the bowl of fruit and nuts. Toss with a flexible spatula until well combined, then return to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer to cool, about 45 minutes. As soon as the granola has cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store up to 6 weeks at room temperature.