Homemade Granola

This is my favorite recipe for granola.  I blended a few recipes and came up with this version.  It makes a great snack and a delicious bowl of cereal.  You can switch up the fruit to your taste (dried cranberries, dried pears, dried cherries, dried mangoes, dried currants, etc).  Don’t skip the brown sugar in this recipe.  The quantity is small and it’s crucial for coating the granola with the crunchy sweetness it deserves.  Don’t add the dried fruit until the last 15 minutes of bake time.  It will be overdone.  The technique used here to form granola into chunks, makes for a great snacking granola.  I always love when I reach into a bag of granola and pull out a big piece.  It’s like getting the prize!  Homemade granola will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a month.  You can also store it in the pantry for up to two weeks. 

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Homemade Granola

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats uncooked (not the quick cook)
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flake coconut you can use sweetened here, too
• 4 tbsp natural brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup natural organic apple juice
• 1/2 cup grade A dark amber pure maple syrup
• 6 tbsp expeller pressed safflower oil
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 10 dried apricots chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Spray 2 jelly roll pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
3. Stir together oats, wheat germ, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, sea salt and cinnamon.
4. Mix apple juice, maple syrup and safflower oil in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
5. Add to dry oat mixture and toss thoroughly to coat.
6. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps.
7. Spread onto pans and bake for 30 minutes.
8. While granola is baking, chop apricots.
9. After granola has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and stir in raisins and apricots.
10. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.
11. Cool and store.

Stir together oats, wheat germ, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, sea salt and cinnamon. 

Mix apple juice, maple syrup and safflower oil in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. 

Add to dry oat mixture and toss thoroughly to coat. 

Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps.  Spread onto pans and bake for 30 minutes.

While granola is baking, chop apricots.  After granola has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and stir in raisins and apricots.  Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.  Cool and store.

Grab the milk and enjoy!