Get The Best Granola By Following This Ratio

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The best granola has a perfectly crunchy texture, deliciously rich toastiness, and just enough sugar to round it all out. But getting the right ratio for homemade granola is tricky, so we spoke with Tamar Adler, author of "Feast On Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Every Day," to learn what makes her recipe so perfect. 

"My granola is 7 ¼ cups dry ingredients and 1 ¼ cups combined olive oil and maple syrup, with an additional ½ cup of brown sugar," says Adler. "To me, this yields the perfect crunch, with enough fat to make it all taste crisp and a little fried." Oil binds your grains together, though you can also use egg white to boost your granola's protein and crunch. The right ratio of oil and sugar should give you a great texture while still keeping it sweet in a way that doesn't overpower your oats, nuts, seeds, or whatever else you decide to add. 

Cashews, slivered almonds, and walnuts are naturally soft and great choices when your granola is already plenty crunchy. On the other hand, seeds get extra crispy when roasted properly, so consider sesame seeds or pepitas if you want a little extra texture. 

Getting the most out of your homemade granola requires the right mix of ingredients, preparation, and temperature. While skipping a step may not ruin your batch, it'll certainly prevent it from becoming as flavorful as it could have been. Remember, granola is all about how each ingredient works with the others, so maximizing their flavor beforehand gives you a much better product. 

Using both cracked and whole oats gives you a variety of textures, but toasting them first creates the crunchiest granola ever. Whether you're pre-baking oats or learning how to roast nuts, a bit of heat draws out flavorful oils and caramelizes sugars, delivering a rich, nutty flavor you can't replicate any other way. Plus, this helps evaporate excess moisture, making your end product far crunchier. While your oven inevitably dries out your granola to some degree, it'll take far longer if it has to remove all that extra water first.  

"Mix it twice as long as you think you should," Adler finishes. "Bake it 10 minutes longer than you think you should. Don't bake it above 300 (degrees Fahrenheit)." If you bake your granola at too high of a temperature, you risk burning nuts, seeds, and dried fruits before everything's dried out properly. Plus, lower temperatures give you the chance to stir your granola more frequently, guaranteeing an even color and texture that mimics the quality of anything you'd find in a store.