A Fun Granola Recipe to Make with Kids

I taught a class in Wild Edibles at a Wilderness Camp last summer. Here is a fun recipe for homemade granola with a wild edible flair that I made with the kids in my class. It is a big hit with kids because they pick the flowers themselves.

Wild Clover Granola

Wild clover is an important and easy to obtain wild food. It is a member of the legume family and contains proteins, beta carotene, vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, biotin, choline, inositol, bioflavonoids, manganese, zinc, copper, and selenium. There are many uses for clover flowers and leaves, but here I will focus on only one. This recipe will make about 2 cups of this yummy wild clover granola.

Clover blooms from spring to fall, and, in some places, into winter. There are three varieties of wild clover: purple, white, and yellow hops clover. Any of these can be used, though I prefer to use white clover because it is more abundant and the flowers have the best taste of the three. Use only the best flower heads. Avoid or discard the brown ones.

Find a place where a lot of clover grows. A nearby field or your lawn would be a good place to start. Pick a substantial amount of clover flowers. Try to pick enough to have one cup. They will cook down quite a bit.

Remove the stems and the brown parts of the flowers. Sort and clean them. Set them aside while you gather these additional ingredients:

¼ cup of Granola

¼ cup dry Oatmeal (like Quaker Oats)

¼ cup Craisins (Dried Cranberries)

¼ cup chopped Dates (optional)

¼ cup chopped fresh red delicious apple

¼ cup chopped Nuts (any variety) or shelled sunflower seeds

4 tablespoons honey (or more, depending on your taste)

Place clover flowers in a frying pan. Put a little bit of water or olive oil in the pan to prevent the bottom from scorching. Dry roast flowers in pan over low heat for about ten minutes, continually stirring flowers around to avoid scorching or burning them.

Add the oatmeal and slowly add enough water for the oatmeal to absorb it. Continue to stir the mixture until the oatmeal is moist.

Add Honey and all remaining ingredients and continue to stir in pan over low heat until mixture is blended and sticky. It will scorch easily, so be careful to keep stirring while it is on the heat. In about 10 or 15 minutes, remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to eat.

Wild clover granola can be eaten warm, or place it in a container in the refrigerator for an hour to allow it to firm up. You can even mold it into bars if you like.

A variation of this recipe can be made in the wintertime, just omit the clover.