The Making of Our Dream Wedding: DIY Granola Jar Wedding Favors (+ recipe!)
This post contains affiliate links - as an Amazon Associate, I will earn a small commission on qualifying purchases which helps pay for this blog’s upkeep.
The Concept
Bae and I can be described as moderately crunchy, which is further evidenced by our desire to DIY and customize our wedding to fit our vision. Our wedding favors served two purposes - a small (and useful!) gift for our guests who braved the dangers and volatility of COVID-era travel, and serve as a decorative object that aptly describes the bohemian vibe of our garden-party themed wedding celebration.
Sealed with cork and Japanese washi tape, tagged with customized Avery printable stickers
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to DIY our wedding favors, and what came to mind was my favorite granola recipe from 11 Madison Park, though I use weight measurements from this blog’s adaptation. The flavor combination of olive oil-and-maple syrup-infused dry ingredients, its special-diet-friendly composition (vegan, nut, and gluten-free options!), and the pretty color contrast from the green pumpkin seeds and burgundy dried tart cherries make this particular granola recipe truly special.
Selecting the Vessel and Packaging
Glass jars are in abundance in my kitchen - I love the rustic charm of combining glass with natural materials like cork and wood. I’m rather particular about the shape of my glass jars. I scoured the internet for options, looking for something wide and squat for stability. I settled on these jars, which came with two lid options, tags, and twine. They were packed well and all of the ones I received were crack-free.
I enlisted the help of my maid of honor to attach the tags to the rims of the jars using the twine. On the tag, I customized small Avery printable stickers with our actual marriage date, since we postponed our wedding celebration due to COVID. With a cork lid and some washi tape for insurance, the favors were as charming as I had envisioned, and we made enough for some of our guests to take home multiple jars. Some of my out-of-town guests appreciated having a ready-made breakfast for their journey back home!
Making sure each jar is crammed with as much of the tasty stuff as possible
Making the Granola
If this is your first venture into making homemade granola, I can assure you that after countless batches and recipes, granola is probably among the easiest baking projects out there, taking no more than 10 minutes of prep before the whole thing takes a 45-55 minute slumber in the oven. All you’ll need is a baking sheet, some parchment paper, and either a food scale or set of measuring cups and spoons. As with any baking project, weighing your ingredients will produce the most consistent and accurate results. I adapted the recipe from Chic Eats, which was adapted from the 11 Madison Park recipe.
The most contentious part of this recipe is the amount of salt called for. The original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of kosher salt which will impart less saltiness than table salt, and saltiness also varies by brand used. I personally measure out 10g of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but that can be too salty for many folks, so I recommend salting to taste. You can easily customize the recipe by swapping out the pistachios and pecans for your favorite nut combination, and do the same with the pumpkin seeds and dried cherries. The possibilities are endless - you could easily do a blueberry-almond, or cranberry-walnut, or your own variation!
Recipe for Meg and David’s Wedding Granola
Adapted from Chic Eats/11 Madison Park
Note: I’ve provided links to the brands of ingredients I’ve used, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. All Amazon links are affiliate links.
Ingredients (Metric)
264g old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
60g coconut flakes (not shredded or toasted)
60g pistachios (raw or roasted, salted or unsalted are all fine)
25g raw pecans, chopped or whole
10g or 1 scant tablespoon (yes, tablespoon) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or to taste
96g light brown sugar
100g maple syrup
3/4 cup dried tart cherries (I realize this is by volume, but the quantity of dried fruit is a personal preference and does not affect the granola texture as they are added after baking the granola)
Ingredients (US customary)
2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
1 cup coconut flakes (not shredded or toasted)
1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pistachios (raw or roasted, salted or unsalted are all fine)
1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped or whole
1 scant tablespoon (yes, tablespoon) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup dried tart cherries
Preparation
Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 300°F or 150°C.
Measure all the ingredients, setting aside the sour cherries.
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and salt until thoroughly combined.
In a small saucepan or butter pan, combine the brown sugar, olive oil, and maple syrup over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula until the sugar is dissolved. This should not take more than a few minutes.
Once the sugar is dissolved, pour the warm mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking pan in an even layer. If you want your granola to be clusters (rather than loose pieces), ensure the mixture is packed together.
Bake for 40-50 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Halfway through baking, stir with a heatproof spatula to ensure even baking. Towards the end of baking time, keep an eye on the color of the coconut chips and the pecans, as they will brown first. The granola is done when everything is an even. golden color and emits a fragrant, nutty scent.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the tart cherries over the granola slab, pressing them in with a spatula (if you like granola clusters). At this stage, the granola will still be soft, but the cooling process will crispen them up.
Allow the granola to cool completely in the pan until no trace of warmth remains before breaking into pieces.
Store in an airtight container for 3 weeks, or in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. You can add a sheet of desiccant if you’d like to seal out any moisture. I have never kept this granola longer than this, but you can also freeze it to stall the staling process.
Customizations
Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats and ensure the remaining ingredients do not risk cross-contamination with gluten.
Nut-free: Substitute the nuts with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or omit the nuts altogether.
Dairy-free/Vegan/Vegetarian: This recipe is already vegan and vegetarian friendly.
A note on salt: Ensure you are using kosher salt if you are measuring out the full quantity. Otherwise, use half the amount (1 1/2 tsp or 5g) in table salt.
How to enjoy DIY granola
I like my granola with plain greek yogurt or unsweetened almond milk, but it is wonderful over vanilla ice cream or eaten as is.
