Homemade Granola

Ah, granola. Crunchy, nutty, perfectly sweet goodness. Oh how I love it when it graces my breakfast bowl. You can imagine my excitement when I figured out how easy it is to make.

I've been experimenting with different recipes and I think I've found the perfect one for me. That is, until I find the next perfect one to suit my ever-changing tastes. Granola is very simple to make and the recipe is so flexible. You mix oats with an oil and a sweetener and voila, granola. You can customize your granola with spices, nuts, dried fruit, and just about anything you can think of. My favorite combination involves pecans and dried cranberries. Gosh I love pecans.

First, you put all of your chosen dry ingredients in a bowl, except for any dried fruit...

Then, you add all of your wet ingredients (Sweetener, Oil, etc.)...

Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake...  Once baked, add in dried fruit and VOILA! Granola that is better than anything you will find in a box. 

Here's a great recipe that I found at Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy and adapted to my tastes and pantry ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup puffed millet - I used puffed Rice
• 1/2 cup Pecan pieces (Athena Addition)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil - I used coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions
Stir together the grains, nuts and seeds. In a separate bowl, stir together the liquid ingredients and the seasonings until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly coated. Pour the mixture into a cookie sheet. Bake at 225F for a couple hours, removing from the oven to stir every 30 minutes or so. When the granola begins to be very fragrant, check more frequently until you have the desired crunchiness. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the dried fruit. When granola is cooled, spoon into containers and store at room temperature.

Shared at: Becoming Lydia