Puffed Grain Granola

I’ve been noticing lots of talented cooks I know using puffed grains in their granola or as toppings. I love Glutton For Life’s Rice Crispies, a savory topping made with puffed rice. Kaela of Local Kitchen uses puffed grains in her granola I found out the other day on Instagram. I thought I’d share my take on it. I’ve been making this for a couple of years now—I buy puffed grains in big bags and keep them in plastic Cambro bins. There are no oats in this at all. There is also no dried fruit. We like to have it with yogurt, fruit and jam. But it’s also good as a snack on its own!

This batch is big and lasts our family of three for at least a week. We eat it a lot! My son loves it because, I’ll admit, it’s sweet. You could tone down the honey if you don’t have a sweet tooth, but I haven’t tried it. I have tried it with sugar, and it doesn’t work–the honey really binds it and makes it crunchy. I have yet to try it with maple syrup, but now that I have my own I might be inclined to squander some on it just out of curiosity. I like a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon on the tray because it turns it a nice brown color. The smoked Maldon salt I put on everything—I do recommend a bit of salt in granola. It always gives it a lift. Let me know if you try it, and if you makes changes to it!

Puffed Grain Granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6 cups of puffed grains—whatever you want, I use a mix of wheat, rice, kamut, corn and millet

½ cup honey

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup sunflower seeds, roasted unsalted

1 cup sliced almonds, whole almonds, walnuts or a mix of your favorite nuts

(optional: sprinkle of cinnamon and smoked maldon salt on top)

Heat the honey and coconut oil gently, either in a microwave or stove top, and pour over the ingredients. Stir to coat. Spread on a tray lined with a silpat. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. Bake at 350 degrees  for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Let cool in pan for 15-30 minutes so it hardens, then remove to an air tight jar so it won’t lose its crispness.