Making homemade granola is easy and so satisfying. It is less expensive than buying prepared granolas and will make your home smell wonderful as it bakes. For a vegan variation, replace the honey with agave nectar or another liquid sweetener.
Makes about 9-10 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup ground almonds
- ½ cup whole or slivered almonds
- ¾ cup unsalted, raw sunflower seeds
- ¾ cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup millet
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- ¼ t. ground ginger
- ¼ t. salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup canola oil
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup dried apricots
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond meal, seeds, almonds, millet, cinnamon, ginger and salt until well mixed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey and oil until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry in two additions, folding in the mixture with a spatula in quick motions to coat evenly. (The dry ingredients will quickly absorb the wet ingredient mixture, so it is important to work quickly in this step.)
4. Spread granola evenly onto the prepared sheets and bake for 45-55 minutes, removing the pans from the oven half-way through, flipping granola gently with a metal spatula, and rotating the pans to ensure even baking (move the one on the top rack to the bottom, the bottom to the middle, the middle to the top).
5. Remove the pan from the oven when the granola is golden brown (but not burned!) and dry. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before folding in the dried fruits. Granola will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
