If you’re a granola lover like I am then you know that it can be a spendy item to buy on a regular basis. That’s the beauty of making your own granola…it’s super easy to whip up a batch of it and you get a lot more granola for a lot less money.  

This recipe is a great one to play with. You can use different dried fruits and nuts depending on what suits your fancy. I decided to use dried apricots and a combo of chopped pecans and sliced almonds. I didn’t have unsweetened coconut so I used the sweetened variety. I also added 1 tablespoon of flax seeds, 1/8 cup of wheat germ and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. The granola turned out great! I like to mix it with plain yogurt drizzled with a bit of honey. Yumm!

Everyday Granola
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Yield: Makes about 5 cups

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut*
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 30-40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.

* Available at specialty foods stores and natural foods stores.

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Tags: almonds, apricot, Breakfast, cereal, dried fruit, granola, honey, old-fashioned oats, pecans, shredded coconut

My first attempt at making granola was a few years ago around the holidays. I gave a sample of it to a few friends to try and they both liked it so much they made it themselves to package up and give out as teacher’s gifts for Christmas. I’d say that’s a hearty stamp of approval!

The recipe calls for rolled oats (the old-fashioned kind not the instant) and REAL maple syrup. You can use pretty much any dried fruit and nut combination that makes you happy (I used dried cherries in the above photo). Be sure to add the dried fruit AFTER the granola comes out of the oven.  

For other recipe ideas, check out Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Granola
- adapted from an Alton Brown recipe – www.foodnetwork.com
Makes 6 servings.

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, etc.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add dried fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

Tags: coconut, dried cherried, dried cranberries, dried fruit, granola, nuts, oats, pecans