Homemade Granola

My favorite everyday breakfast is a cup of blueberries, a dollop of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of local honey and a small scoop of granola. I never grow tired of this combination of creamy, crunchy, sweet and tart ingredients. This breakfast is also a powerhouse for morning energy and nutrition. The choice of granola is the creative part of the dish, also the variable one. There are so many varieties of granola available in our stores these days—everything from high-end gourmet varieties that will set you back $20 or more for a bag or a box, to big-box containers for just a few dollars, to homemade-the reason for today’s post.

I wanted a mixture that I knew had no preservatives/chemicals/etc. and I wanted to include coconut oil, which is so very healthful. Here is the result that has also become a run-through-the-kitchen-and-grab-a-handful-snack for the family. This is low-stress cooking at its best.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

½ cup butter
¼ cup coconut oil**
¾ cup local honey
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup coarsely chopped almonds
½ cup coarsely chopped cashews
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, whatever you like the best)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small saucepan, gently heat and stir the butter, coconut oil and honey until melted and combined.

In a large bowl, toss together the rolled oats, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds. Add ½ of the hot honey mixture and toss to combine well. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the coconut flakes and toss gently with a spatula. Drizzle the remaining honey mixture over and toss again. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Add the dried berries, stir again and bake for another 5 minutes or until the mix is a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Store in an airtight container.

**If you don’t have coconut oil, just use a full cup of butter—it will be delicious if slightly less healthful.