I am so glad I finally tried making homemade granola. I prefer granola that has a deep brown color and the nuts to be really roasted. I do not think I will ever go back to purchasing store-bought granola.

I really enjoy having the granola with a bit of almond milk, sprinkled on oatmeal for additional crunch or just grabbing a handful as a snack. This recipe yields granola with a light sweetness, nutty flavor and crispy oats.

Adapted from Tamra Davis Cooking Show and My Father’s Daughter

• 2 cups rolled old fashioned oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts (slivered almonds or walnuts)
• ½ cup seeds (sesame, sunflower or chia seeds)
• 4 teaspoon of fine salt
• 1/3 a cup of oil
• ½ a cup of honey or Vermont maple syrup
• ¼ cup of apple or orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped dried fruit (raisins, apples) optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together everything, except the raisins.

Spread the granola out on a nonstick sheet pan covered with parchment paper or silpat and coat with a  little vegetable oil. Make sure the granola is not more than one inch thick or you may need to use two pans. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occaionally, or until evenly browned. Check and stir it up after about 10 minutes. Don’t let it burn. Stir in dried fruit once it’s cooled a bit.

Serve with your favorite milk or yogurt. It keeps well for 2-3 months in an airtight container.

*Granola Bars – put 1 cup of granola, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of flax oil, 2 tablespoons of honey in a food processor. After it’s blended fine, add a few organic chocolate chips and form it into a shape on a Silpat that’s sitting on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Oats, nuts, seeds, honey, salt, cinnamon

Old-fashioned oats

Organic California RaisinsSlivered almondsMixing the liquids, juice and syrup with dry goodsPre-baked granola mixturePost-baked homemade granola