Homemade Granola

I may be coming down with a touch of clausterphobia. I can't remember the last time Bismarck had this much snow. Consider the view from my back door.

At this very moment, my husband is risking life and limb, shovelling snow off the roof. Maybe I should be out there helping, at least providing moral support and/or breaking his fall.

But it's cold out.

Well, maybe I can brave the elements long enough to grab a picture.

So now that we can rest easy knowing the roof isn't going to cave in, let's make granola.

I think my body is rejecting white flour and white sugar now that the holidays have past, but the baking itch remains. Granola seems to be a good way to kick off the New Year. Plus, it's tough to find a good granola in the grocery store. It's either too sweet or too hard or not enough of this or too much of that. The only way to get it right is to do it yourself, and it's actually really easy to make.


The results from this recipe? Sweet, but not too sweet; crunchy, but not too crunchy; and packed full of the nuts and fruits instead of the $5 bag of dry oat chunks you get at the supermarket. I've been eating the results three times a day, I can't get enough of it.

100% of the recipe credit goes to Slashfood, I just made some simple adaptions. Thanks to this recipe I'm considering a career change from corporate office manager to Granola Superstar, supplying wholesome deliciousness to the masses. Whaddya think?

Feel free to make substitutions with the nuts and fruits, and be patient as it bakes - it won't start looking toasty until 20-30 minutes into baking.

Homemade Granola
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey

Mix oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, and wheat germ in a large bowl. Measure oil into the measuring cup and swirl it around before pouring into bowl. Measure out the honey in the same, unwashed cup. The oil will help the honey exit the cup. Toss everything together until evenly coated and then pour out into a large roasting pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning it with a spatula every ten minutes or so until mixture is an even golden brown. When it is finished cooking, returned the baked granola to the mixing bowl, add the dried fruit, stir to combine, and allow to cool, stirring gently several times as it cools so it doesn't clump together too much. Enjoy!