Homemade Granola

Granola is something I always have on hand - I eat it almost every day; most often mixed with greek yogurt and berries, but also as cereal or even bake in cookies.  It's the best - sweet, crunchy, and holds you over for hours!  Since I've been marathon training for the past 6 weeks, I have noticed I crave it even more - probably for the yummy carbs.

I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina made a bunch of breakfast goodies for a friend.  Granola was on the menu, and since then, I couldn't stop thinking about it!  (Original recipe here.)  This recipe is not only easy, it's super healthy, and cheap!  My typical box of Cascadian Farms costs around $4...I would imagine this recipe cost no more than $2, and it makes more servings.   I'll definitely try to make this one more often on the weekends to have on hand for easy breakfasts and snacks.

I made several changes to the original recipe - first of all, I cut it in half - 12 cups of granola sounded like way too much for our house.  I also used unsweetened coconut vs. the sweetened version that Ina used.  I cut down on the vegetable oil as well, just to cut out some fat.  As for the dried fruit that I used, you can really throw in whatever you have on hand.  The combination of cherries and cranberries was really good and would also make this a festive recipe during the holidays.  I also baked this at 300 degrees as opposed to 350 - I read a lot of reviews that said this recipe burned easily.  No burning here!

Homemade Granola

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Big Breakfast Episode

Makes 6 cups (12 1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill brand and it was really good)

1 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions:

Mix the oats, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and honey.  Pour over the oats and mix/stir well until the mixture is coated well.  Spread on a jelly roll pan and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring often.  

Remove granola from oven and let cool completely.  Add in cherries and cranberries and stir.

This can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.