I comfortably admit that I’m a granola girl—regardless social connotations that have been attached to that phrase. I eat homemade granola almost daily in summer, scooped over Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt and barely visible beneath a mound of fresh homegrown berries. In winter, I flavor the yogurt with homemade jams. In summer, I make granola in a food dehydrator, letting its aroma fill my mudroom without heating up the whole house, but I sometimes pop it in the oven in winter when I want that extra warmth.

The adaptability of homemade granola extends beyond add-ins and prep methods, as I explain this week my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. The recipe I share there avoids many common allergens, with replacements that make it nut-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly. It shows just how easily you can adjust granola ingredients to suit your diet and preferences.

Learn more about gluten-free grains and get the complete recipe for Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Granola in my column.

Make it, share it.
Tag @twiceastastyblog and #twiceastastyblog

Twice as Tasty

My Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Granola recipe is delicious as written, but it’s just a starting point. If gluten isn’t a concern for you, you can replace some or all of the oats with other grains. If you don’t have a nut allergy but are avoiding gluten, use certified gluten-free oats and quinoa as the grains in Gourmet Granola with Nuts and Fruit.

If you compare my granola recipes side by side, you’ll see that they essentially follow the same ratios and techniques, giving you lots of opportunities to adjust the grains, sweeteners, and add-ins. Use 6 cups of grains, softened with 1-1/4 cups of liquids. Dissolve your choice of sweeteners in warm water and oil, and sprinkle in spices to taste. Fold in 1-3/4 cups of nuts and/or seeds before baking or dehydrating, and add 1/2 cup or more of dried fruit if desired once the granola has cooled.

With so many options, every batch of granola I make is different, depending on what’s in my kitchen and what’s in season. That’s part of what makes the granola workshops I’m teaching this month so fun: I show up with more than 40 ingredients, and we create and sample an array of variations.

Granola travels well, so I always pack a batch for breakfasts aboard our sailboat or when camping. I use granola in different ways too. I sprinkle it on Sourdough Power Waffles. It’s an instant topping for Rhubarb–Apple Crisp and other baked fruits. It makes a crunchy topping for a bowl of ice cream or grilled peaches. I also use it instead of croutons on green salads and creamy soups.

If you don’t yet own a food dehydrator, granola might be just the inspiration you need. You can learn more about seasonal foods that I dehydrate in this blog post.

Want more Twice as Tasty recipes? Get my books! Click here to order a personally signed, packaged, and shipped copy of The Complete Guide to Pickling directly from me. I also share tasty ways to use pickles in The Pickled Picnic; it’s only available here.