Homemade Granola

When I went home for Christmas this year, my family, of course, outdid themselves on the meals.  I am always emailing my parents for recipes that they've made because they are always trying something new and interesting.  One of the highlights was a butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna... delicious!  That is one that I will tackle another day with my new lasagna pan, but it is definitely a keeper.

One recipe that my mom has made in the past, and again this visit, is homemade granola.  It is such a treat to have, and while not difficult to make, it takes some time and quite a few ingredients.  It is SO worth the final product, though.  Store-bought granolas just don't do it for me like this does.  Even the more expensive brands taste kind of chalky and dry to me, so I often forget how good the homemade kind is.  Until I go home, of course.

My trip this winter was just too short and I only had two mornings to enjoy the granola.  I came home determined to make it for myself, and so I did.  I used my mom's recipe as the base, but ended up doubling the amounts of oats and the liquid components.  I also added quite a few more add-ins (because that's the best part, right?) and the result was to die for.  I'm a little embarrassed to say how quickly we went through this batch.  It was perfect when we were flying last weekend to throw a couple bags in my carry-on for snacking, great for a pre-workout snack, and awesome with greek yogurt.  My favorite part is definitely the little almost-burnt crispy pieces of dried fruit.  Another batch may be coming soon.

Homemade Granola
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Servings: 14 (1 cup serving)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tbsp butter (I used coconut oil instead)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar (I used dark)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups whole rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (I used flaked, unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into strips

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 325F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, syrup, brown sugar, butter/coconut oil, and vanilla.  Bring to a boil (but don't let boil over).  Then reduce heat and simmer about 5 min, stirring often.
3. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, nuts, and seeds.  Pour hot honey mixture over oat mixture and stir to coat thoroughly.
4. Spread mixture evenly on the baking sheet.  Bake 15 minutes.
5. Then add dried fruit, stirring to distribute.  Bake 15-17 minutes longer (mine took longer than this to get golden brown, maybe 30 minutes?), stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely.  Granola will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Notes: I used two separate baking dishes for this.  One was flat (with 1/2" rim) and the other was a 9"x13"x2" baking pan.  The granola did not brown in the deeper pan and I ended up having to transfer the contents to the flat pan once that one was complete.  The edges cooked faster than the middle, so in order to get all the pieces to brown up evenly, some stirring is necessary.