Homemade Granola

Ben and I love granola but it's really expensive to buy.  I like to make my own using ingredients that I buy in bulk. I bet you can make this using ingredients that you have in your pantry right now.  Like most of my recipes, this one is an amalgamation of a bunch of different recipes that I found online.  It's simple and you can change up the ingredients so you're not eating the same thing every week.

Ben's Favourite Granola


Ingredients


3 c old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2 c nuts
3/4 c shredded coconut
1/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c maple syrup
3/4 t kosher salt
1 t spice
1 t vanilla or any other extract (optional)
1 c dried fruit


Directions


In a large bowl combine oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. I usually do a mixture of nuts. My standard is 1 cup pecans and 1 cup slivered almonds. But you can jazz it up by adding walnuts, macadamia nuts, or a mixture of whatever you have in your pantry.

In a smaller bowl whisk together oil, syrup, salt, spice, and vanilla. Again, feel free to experiment with the spices. I've been adding apple pie spice, but you can add cinnamon, a pinch of cloves, or a mixture of whatever you have handy. Oh I just thought of something: You could even go crazy and add a little pinch of cardamom, I bet that'd be good. Mmmm, cardamom... Where was I?  Oh yes...

Pour spice mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to coat.

Pour mixture onto 2 sheet pans (preferably pans with sides because you're going to stir the granola as it cooks and you don't want to lose any of the deliciousness). Place the pans on the middle rack of an oven preheated to 250F for 1h15m. Stir every 15 minutes. I like to use two timers. I set one for 1h15m and the other I set in 15 minute increments as I tend to get distracted easily and will often forget to stir.

Finally, transfer the granola into a large bowl and add the dried fruit. I typically add raisins because they are cheap and delicious but you can add craisins, chopped up dried apples, or whatever you have handy.

Once everything is cool I like to store my granola in glass jars.  Enjoy this as a snack served on top of yoghurt, in a bowl with some milk for breakfast, or just munch on it out of the palm of your hand!

Let me know if anyone comes up with fun flavour combinations!