Granola Tips

So… I’ve been making granola a lot. Like, every other week. This recipe, to be exact. Cinnamon Applesauce Granola is the best stuff ever. I know I said this before, but it’s pretty low in sugar AND it’s very flavorful. Perfect for eating by the handful or in yogurt. But guess what? I’ve found a way to make it even crunchier AND chunkier. Because chunks of granola are the best thing ever!!!

My new secret granola weapon is… don’t stir it! The original recipe says to stir it once or twice while baking, but I’ve found lately that not stirring it at all (or just stirring it once halfway through the cooking time) is key for granola success. Not stirring makes almost a granola-bar like consistency of granola that you can then break apart on your own after it cools. Whoa! Duh. Why didn’t I realize this sooner? When you do this, you do have to let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, otherwise it can be a little soft inside the chunks [from the applesauce]. 🙂

Chunky granola makes me so happy! [I know that sounds weird. Sorry.]

And now, for my second granola tip… you might be wondering why there are little jars of granola in front of my big tin of granola. [Some people keep a cookie jar on their counter… I keep a tin of granola.] Those, my friends, are thoroughly washed glass spice jars. Like the kind from my friend and yours, Mr. Trader Joe. These jars specifically are 2 ounces, which I have found is the perfect amount of granola for the 6 ounce cups of yogurt I buy every week at the grocery store.

If you take your breakfast or lunch with you to work or school, or just need a snack for the day, putting your granola in small glass spice jars keeps it fresh and smash-free. Sometimes when I was putting it in little plastic baggies, my granola–even the larger chunks–would get crushed by the rest of my lunch before I had the chance to eat it. This solves the problem, plus is a bit more environmentally friendly! I have quite the collection of these spice jars amassed so at the beginning of the week, I’ve started dishing up the granola for lunches for the week, ready to grab and go every night at lunch-making time. Works for me! If you don’t have a collection of glass spice jars ready now, then you can probably buy something similar at an organizing store, or just wait a few weeks until you finish a spice.

What are your granola-making tips? Recipes? I’d love to hear them below in the comments. 🙂 Have a good Monday!