Easy DIY Granola Recipe

This granola recipe will change your life!

Granola, the best “hippie” food ever was just reinvented over here. I feel so 1960. After having countless arguments with my kids over their choice in breakfast foods: melt down’s over the lack of pop-tarts, fruit loops and packets of brown sugar instant oatmeal in my house, I promised them that we could come up with something 1000 times tastier and better for them at home.

We laid out the ingredients we already had in the house: Quaker brand steel-cut oats, sliced almonds, cashews, Van’s Honey Nut Crunch and some dried raspberries and craisins.

First we measured out the cereal, oats, almonds, cashews, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl. We mixed all of the ingredients together.

Next, in a glass-measuring cup, we measured out vanilla, olive oil, and maple syrup. We poured the sticky goodness over the dry ingredients and mixed it to combine. Afterwards, Stew tried to drink the left over maple syrup mixture. It was really very yummy.

We spread the granola mixture onto 2 baking sheets and popped them into the oven for 90 minutes.

I stirred the mixture every 15 minutes to make sure it cooked evenly. About an hour into the cooking time, the smell was fantastic and Spud perked up: maybe it was going to be as tasty as her desired sugary cereal.

Once the granola was toasty and golden, we removed it from the oven and let it sit for 25 minutes to cool completely. In went the dried fruit and the first taste was a success! It was crunchy, sweet and a little salty all at the same time. My kids now eat it plain as a snack while my husband puts it over his yogurt. I’m so happy that it turned out great and that my kids have a better breakfast/snack option. Try it and let me know what your kids think!

Maple Granola

Ingredients:

• 4 cups 7-grain cereal
• 4 cups Steel-Cut Oats or Old Fashioned Oatmeal
• 1 ½ cups sliced almonds
• 1-cup cashews, chopped or whole
• 2 tbs. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tbs. vanilla
• 1/3-cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup REAL maple syrup
• 2 cups dried fruit (like Amport dried raspberries)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 270 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine cereal, oatmeal, nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
3. In glass measuring cup, measure out and whisk together oil, maple syrup and vanilla together.
4. Pour the syrup mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Spread granola onto 2 baking sheets and spread it out.
6. Bake for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to make sure it bakes evenly.
7. Remove from oven and let cool.
8. Add dried fruit and store in a container with a tight fitting lid.