I have been waiting to get a flaker to make my own rolled oats. I have a few thoughts on the type of flakers. I got an oat flaker that is small, more affordable, and you roll by hand using a crank. Linked Here. Now, for my family this totally works. I am the only one in my family that really loves oatmeal. I can eat it often. So this flaker works well for me because I am not making large quantities of oats. It's easy and not much effort to get a nice rolled oat. I will use it for recipes like this and the occasional breakfast. But if I had a large family or made a lot of oatmeal, I would definitely buy an electric one. They are more pricey, but I do think it's worth it in that case.
And yes, the same nutritional advantages are there for rolling your oats fresh, similarly to wheat. The moment you crack the groat open, nutrition starts to degrade. So it is more nutritionally superior to roll it fresh and cook or bake with it right away. And the flavor...it is so much better.
Now to the recipe. It is a good one. My family eats it straight out of the bag. My son uses it make himself cereal. My daughter loves it on yogurt. But if I leave it on the counter, everyone just munches on it by the handful.
Basic Granola Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups organic rolled oats or fresh flaked groats
1 cup chopped raw cashews
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
2 heaping tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup melted butter
Optional : 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
If you are rolling the oats yourself, use organic groats. 1/2 cup of groats will make about 1 cup of rolled oats.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Melt the butter and peanut butter together, and add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix together well. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture out evenly.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let the granola completely cool in the pan before you break it up.
Store in a bag, jar, or container for a week.
Enjoy!
-Michal