Homemade Granola Recipe

Oats – Most granola recipes start with oats.  You want to buy old fashioned oats and not quick cooking oats.

Honey – This is the glue for your granola.  You could also use agave nectar or maple syrup.

Oil – This makes it crisp up nicely and is the secondary glue.  I tried this without the oil and it was also very delicious, but obviously not as crisp. If you are looking to lessen the calories, you could cut back on the oil or eliminate it completely.

Nuts – These pack a nice protein punch into your granola.  I used pecans, but you could use any nut you prefer.  You could also cut the amount of nuts in half and add in some seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

Dried Fruit – This gets mixed in after baking and can be any great dried fruit you love.  I’m going to try dried mango next time!

Flavor – For this recipe I used cinnamon and vanilla extract.  You could try other great flavor combinations though, like a little less cinnamon mixed with a pinch of ginger and allspice!

honey you could also use maple syrup or agave nectar

brown sugar packed

vanilla extract

salt

ground cinnamon

vegetable oil you could also use grape seed or coconut oil

old fashioned oats (not quick cooking oats)

chopped pecans any roughly chopped nut would be great here - especially walnuts or almonds

dried cranberries or any dried fruit

raisins or any dried fruit

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon.

Gently fold in the oats and the nuts.  Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes rotating the baking sheet half way though baking. (Keep a close eye on it towards the end of baking.)

Remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Allow to cool for an hour.  Break apart the granola and mix in the dried fruit.  Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.