I love granola, but buying it pre-made can make a dent in the pocketbook. I whipped up a batch of my own using Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Almond granola recipe for inspiration. I modified Martha’s ingredients, eliminating the vegetable oil and coconut and adding flax seed and lavender which I have growing in my back yard. (Lavender not flax seed…)
Lavender’s health benefits help aid in digestion plus this herb adds a light floral flavor to whatever you are baking—not overwhelming, just a fresh taste. (I try to throw herbs into all my dishes. The antioxidants are healing, so why not?)
I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy homemade granola is to make.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats (I used Quaker)
- 3/4 cup raw slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup flaxseed (whole, not ground)
- 1/4 cup local honey (I use Zip Code honey from Texas Honeybee Guild)
- 1 Tablespoon lavender buds, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
Notes
Don't be afraid to experiment by substituting your favorite berries or nuts.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except blueberries. Right about now you’ll be thinking wait, this looks strangely like that concoction she made a few months ago for Valentine birdseed feeders… I agree. It does. And although both are edible, this is much better tasting (for humans).
3. Fold in blueberries.
4. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cool. Transfer to your preferred container for storage.
6. Serve with yogurt or ice cream, sprinkle on salads, add to rice pudding, or leave in a Mason jar beside the coffee pot and take a bite every time you walk into the kitchen.
Greek yogurt, lavender blueberry granola, drizzle of agave, sprinkle of bee pollen, sliced bananas
If you don’t have access to lavender, you can order organic culinary lavender from Hood River Lavender. My husband and I visited Hood River Lavender (Oregon) last summer. If you ever have the opportunity to spend time at a lavender farm, do it. As you might imagine, the air smells heavenly.
Hood River Lavender Farm, Oregon
Now I’m wondering…have you ever cooked with lavender?
granola in small Mason jars = great gift idea!
Grace Grits and Gardening
As rosemary is to the spirit, so lavender is to the soul. – Unknown
I cook with lavender all the time. I love it in baked goods like lemon and lavender tea bread or blueberry and lavender cheesecake. 🙂
Lemon and lavender tea bread sounds amazing.
Thanks, Talya, for the great recipe! Now all I gotta do is make me up a batch and put it on my ice cream..=) Also, your photo skills are still Awesomenth!!!…along with your writing skills, of course!=)
You make it look so easy, as usual. I love lavender, probably more than granola to be honest. I had some in a pot for a while but will need to replace it this year after the ugly winter we’ve had. See you soon!