How To Make Granola

There are many reasons to make your own granola: It's easy, economical, very versatile, tastes better and is fresher than what you can buy in the store, and you can adjust your recipe according to your own personal tastes. It's more than just a cold breakfast cereal. Mix your granola in with some yogurt for a nice twist, use it as a topping for vanilla ice cream, use it as a trail mix (my son loves to carry granola around in sandwich bag with a little plastic spoon for an on-the-go snack while he's playing outside), and you can replace graham crackers with granola for a pie crust that is anything but ordinary.

This was originally my mom's recipe that she has been using for over 30 years, but I tweaked it a bit to my own liking. This is a good basic recipe, but it can also take a lot of variation. Play around, experiment, and dress it up any way you like!

Easy Granola Recipe

6 cups uncooked old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sunflower seeds or other type of nuts or seeds
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 flax seeds
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit

In a large bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients, except dried fruit, and mix well. Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish. Toast in oven 300 degrees for 30 minutes, or until desired crunchiness is reached, turning frequently with a spatula. When finished toasting and cooled down a bit, add the dried fruit and mix well. Once completely cooled store in an airtight container for up to several months.