The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
What could possibly be better than steaming, golden-crust bread slathered in salted butter? Knowing you made them from scratch.
Learning how to make the basics from scratch can be an extremely rewarding process. Not only will it taste infinitely better than a stale store-bought product, but you also have control over the ingredients and know exactly what went into it. Unless you are shopping from a local baker or small business, it can be hard to find goods that are not hyper-processed and full of artificial ingredients such as synthetic sugars, unhealthy fats, unnecessary chemicals, and other additives.
The art of cooking from scratch has become a little lost and sacrificed for convenience, in turn impacting your long-term health. Although it may seem a little intimidating at first, you may surprise yourself with how easy it is to make these kitchen staples at home!
Granola
Homemade granola is the best way to make your home smell like a little cozy cottage straight from the cover of a Christmas card. The aroma of roasted nuts, oats, and spices wafting through your kitchen is incomparable to granola from a bag. This same recipe could be used to make granola bars if you don’t break it up after.
This recipe is super customizable to your preferences; add your favorite nuts, cacao chunks, dried fruits, and spices to create the best breakfast topping! You could even add some instant coffee grinds for a little energy bar or pumpkin spice for a seasonal touch. A perk of granola baked from scratch is that you can use coconut oil and natural sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup since store-bought granola is usually very high in sugar and refined oils. With one bowl and your favorite ingredients, you can make this at home!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of rolled oats
- 1-2 cups of nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts work well)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1sp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup.
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Optional toppings: nutmeg, shredded coconut, dried fruits, seeds, dark chocolate chips, etc.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Pour in your wet ingredients and mix until everything is coated.
- Use a baking sheet covered in parchment paper to pour your granola onto. Make sure to spread it in an even layer using your spatula.
- Bake for around 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the granola cool completely so it can continue to crisp up.
- Once cooled, it can be frozen or stored in a ziplock/ airtight container.
Artisan Bread
Bread is one of those items that seem like rocket science to bake from scratch, but with only 3 ingredients and no kneading required, it’s actually quite the opposite! After your first loaf of fluffy, golden goodness emerges from the oven, you will feel like a proper Nara Smith. I love to follow Recipetineats recipe to achieve that artisanal crispy and airy style of bread, reminiscent of a sourdough loaf.
As a college student, making bread is also super convenient because it only takes a few minutes to make the dough, and I can work on homework or run errands while it rises. It’s also extremely cost-effective because it only calls for flour, yeast, salt, and water!
Plant-Based Milk
As someone who loves almond and oat milk, I often struggle to find cheap brands at the grocery store that are just plain ole’ water and oats/nuts. After dabbling with different recipes at home, I developed an easy, fool-proof recipe for tasty and creamy plant-based milk. It’s perfect to pour into your morning cup of coffee, foam up for a cozy hot chocolate, mix into vegan recipes, or even drink plain on its own. Not only can you easily adapt it for either oats or nuts, but you will also always have a fresh jar of delicious, homemade, plant-based milk waiting for you!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of almonds or oats.
- 4-5 cups of filtered water, based on desired thickness
- 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- dash of cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Optional sweeteners: 2 tsb of honey or maple syrup or 2 dates soaked in hot water until soft.
Instructions:
- Soak almonds overnight in a sealed container or in hot water for 2-3 hours. If using oats, do not soak them, as this will create a slimy texture.
- Combine all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’re making oat milk, make sure to use ice-cold water.
- Strain your plant-based milk through a cheesecloth into a bowl. It’s okay to squeeze the almond pulp to get the maximum amount of almond milk, but avoid doing so with the oats. I recommend straining twice for maximum smoothness.
- Carefully pour into jar or bottle and store it in the fridge. Whenever you want to use it for coffee, a smoothie, or any other purpose, make sure to shake before using and enjoy!
Butter
My roommate recently found herself with a surplus of heavy cream after making an amazing tomato pasta sauce. A quick Google search suggested using it to make butter from scratch, and we were so impressed with how tasty it came out that it became a household staple at our little college apartment. The good news is that the churning days are over! If you have a blender or food processor, making butter has never been easier. This single-ingredient recipe tastes so incredibly fresh; it will have you questioning why you ever bought butter from the store. Pair it with your homemade loaf of bread, and you have the recipe for perfection!
Ingredients:
- 16 oz of heavy cream
- Salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Pour heavy cream into a blender or food processor.
- While you blend, make sure to pause every once in a while to scrape the sides off as needed to make sure everything gets blended.
- Blend on high until the buttermilk has separated from the butter (about 10 minutes).
- Squeeze the butter to drain as much liquid as possible from the butter chunks. Make sure to save the liquid if you want to use the buttermilk for other recipes. You can also press the butter into a strainer with a spoon.
- Run the butter under cold water and squeeze some more.
- Add salt to taste.
- Can be stored in the fridge, where it will harden, or in an airtight container at room temperature for a softer spread.
Making butter from scratch also opens the door to experimenting with different flavor combos! You can easily add chives, rosemary, garlic, parsley, caramelized onions, lemon zest, figs, and so much more to give your butter an exciting twist for dinner parties or holidays. The remaining buttermilk also serves as an amazing base for some fluffy blueberry buttermilk pancakes.
Jam or Berry Compote
Jam is one of those items you can make small batches of on demand or freeze a big batch for whenever your PB&J craving hits. The beauty of this recipe is that it has no refined sugar and is rich in fiber due to the chia seeds. You can use any of your favorite fruit combos and play around with different flavor profiles depending on what you have on hand or what’s in season.
Ingredients:
- 16 oz of preferred fruit (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbs chia seeds
- 3 tbs honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbs lemon juice and some lemon zest
Instructions:
- Combine the fruit and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan and put over medium heat. Stir often, letting the berries defrost and mash slightly with your spoon. If you want to make a berry compote for pancakes or toast, simply don’t mash them so that you have bigger fruit chunks.
- Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low and let them simmer, mixing occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in honey or sweetener until desired sweetness.
- Mix in the chia seeds and let rest for about 5 minutes to allow the jam to thicken.
- Allow the jam to cool completely, and you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container or jar.
Scratch Homemade Cooking off Your Bucket List!
Now you know how easy cooking from scratch can be, and it is well worth the results! The freshness of homemade goods tastes so much better than store-bought and allows you to control exactly what goes into the recipes, making them healthier alternatives. These kitchen staples are perfect to keep in your back pocket in case you run out of something last minute or just want to learn more and expand your cooking talents!