Oh So Good Granola

      I love granola! It’s easy to make. It has good for-you-ingredients like oats and nuts and seeds and fruit. Plus, it’s versatile. You can put it on your yogurt, use it as a topper for fruit desserts or just eat it out of hand. It takes about ½ hour to make so give it a try.

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds…

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup melted coconut oil (or olive oil)

½ cup maple syrup (or honey)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.     In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.

3.     Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until oats and nuts are lightly coated.

4.     Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer. For extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer.

5.     Bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway.

6.     Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). The granola will crisp more as it cools.

7.     Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.