Homemade Granola

I started making my own granola about ten years ago, after noticing everything prepackaged and stocked in the grocery store was coated in cane sugar and baked in refined oils. Instead of tossing bag after bag into my grocery cart, I decided to collect the individual ingredients and mix and bake them myself. Imagine my surprise when I discovered how easy granola is to make - in less than 10 minutes and using just one bowl, I could personalize the perfect recipe for my taste and needs.

What I love best about making it myself is that I can find most of the ingredients in the bulk aisles at my grocery store AND my family can incorporate all of their favorite add-ins, like chocolate chips, dried cherries, and chia seeds. I also love that I can use a natural sweetener like honey or maple in whatever quantities I want. Being able to control what type of oil I add - and whether to add it at all - is important to me, too. Although I typically make our granola without oil, if you want to add some flavor and fat, you can stir in 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil at the same time you add the maple syrup. Hope you enjoy! Makes 2 quarts.

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup flax seeds

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or a reusable silicon mat. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, mix well, and spread evenly in a thin layer over the two baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir the ingredients, rotate the tray, and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes. Check the granola periodically to make sure it doesn’t brown or burn. Remove it from the oven, allow it to cool,  then decant it into clean, airtight containers. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

Note: If you prefer your fried fruit juicy, wait to add it in until after you’ve baked the granola. I tend to like it this way best, but my husband Scott (who eats most of the granola) likes it baked. Totally up to you!