Sometimes recipes are thought up on the spot and sometimes the readily of a little bit of internet research. In this case, a lot of internet research. In my search for non-meat recipes for my smoker I came across a granola recipe on the Traeger website, which is funny because I don’t even have a Traeger. There are a few minor changes to the original one I found during my research, but smoked breakfast granola is always a staple in my pantry!
What Pacific Northwest blog wouldn’t be complete without at least one post about granola? Granola may seem like a novelty you need to buy at your neighborhood natural foods store, but it’s actually pretty simple to make. Once it’s done, it’s something that can be eaten any hour if the day! Pour some milk over it, mix with fresh fruit and yogurt, use as a topping on a delicious baked dessert, top some of your favorite ice cream, or use as a snack on the trail, or be like me and eat it straight out of the Tupperware from the comfort of your own couch.
How to Make Smoked Breakfast Granola
It may seem like a complicated recipe, but I’m going to break it down into the components to make it a little easier.
The Oats
In a large mixing bowl (and I mean LARGE) combine old fashioned oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, craisins and slivered almonds. Set aside.
The Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine brown sugar, butter, salt, and honey until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, roughly 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Once the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted and everything is nicely stirred together, remove from heat and stir in almond extract, vanilla, and cinnamon. Let it cool for a few minutes; while it’s cooling grease a large baking dish.
The Combo
Once the sauce has cooled to the point where it won’t burn the crap out of your hands pour it over your oat mixture. Grease your hands and dive in, making sure the sauce and oat mixture fully incorporate. Alternatively, you can use tongs, or a spoon, or two spoons, or two tongs, or another set of hands if you have a friend near by.
The Cook
Start your smoker and set to 300 degrees. Pour your oat and sauce mixture into the greased baking dish and place on your smoker. Cook for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove after 60 minutes and let cool. Store in an air tight container.
Tips
- Like my smoked veggies recipe, use a large baking dish to get as much surface area as you can for the most smoke flavor
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoonn cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup sunflower seeds unsalted
- 1/2 cup wheat germ
- 1 cup almonds slivered
- 2 cups craisins
Instructions
- Start smoker per manufacturers guidelines and set temperature to 300 degrees
- Combine honey, brown sugar, butter, and salt over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer for 8 minutes
- Pull mixture from heat and stir in cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract
- In a large mixing bowl combine oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and almonds
- Pour the warm syrup mixture over dry ingredients, mixing well
- Grease a baking sheet and pour mix in
- Place baking sheet in smoker and cook 60 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes
- After 60 minutes remove from heat and let chill before breaking into bite size pieces
