Granola is a tricky one – oh, not the recipe.  That’s just easy.  Tricky is buying granola and thinking you are getting a good, “healthy” option.   If you make it yourself, you can use quality fats, good seed & nut options and just-the-perfect-amount-of sweetness and KNOW you are getting a good, healthy option.

Start with good oats.  I LOVE Bob’s Red Mill.  I love the company.  I love the man who gave the company back to his employees for his 81st birthday.  And, they are just the best oats I have ever had.  My preference is the thick rolled oats, but the regular rolled oats are fine, as well.

4 cups thick rolled oats

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup (or more) pumpkin seeds

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup coconut chips

Place all the dry ingredients into a large baking pan.  Stir them up!

We need some wet ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or more, to taste)

1 tsp. molasses

1 cup very hot water

Stir until the coconut oil and maple syrup melt and combine.

To this, add:

1 tsp. cinnamon.

1/2 tsp. cardamom

and just a pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Stir it all up and you will have a dark oh-so-heavenly liquid.

Pour this into your dry granola mixture and make sure everybody gets their fair share.  Stir and stir and stir.  Now, you must taste it.   It’s the only way to test for seasonings.  Remember you will add some sweetness with dried fruit after baking, but now is the time to tweak.  I like a mildly sweet granola, so if you need more, add it now!

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees and slide it in there for about 45 minutes.    Stir.  Continue cooking low and slow, stirring about every 15 minutes for another 45 minutes or until the granola is browned and dry.  As it gets closer to done, you may want to reduce your time between stir/checks to 5 minutes.  It will get perfect FAST.   One of my saddest days (in the kitchen) was getting impatient and turning on the broiler to speed up the browning process.  We couldn’t save it.  Burned granola… what a waste!  You will be rewarded for your patience!  Ah!   Now, if you are adding dried fruit, stir it in.  I used dried cranberries, about 1/2 cup.  You can really add any dried fruit, in any amount.  Mix it in, go crazy! 

Once your granola is completely cooled, store it in airtight containers.  Give some away, freeze extra.  You’ll be so glad you did!

NOTE:  You can use any nut, seed or dried fruit.  If you like a nuttier granola – add more nuts.  Prefer a more oat-filled granola?   Up the rolled oats.  I usually add a little fresh grated nutmeg and it’s lovely in this recipe.  Follow your own likes and use what you have on hand.  I have 4 pecan trees so I always have pecans, but you can use walnuts or whatever you prefer!  It’s going to be granola-licious!