recipe: homemade granola

I'm a big breakfast person; my day isn't off to the right start without some cereal and fruit. Granola is my absolute favorite cereal. There's something I love about the nutty texture and the endless fruit and nut combinations. My Dad and I always love trying new granolas but truth be told my favorites are always the ones that are homemade. I've loved trying different techniques and this is one of my favorite recipes. 

Homemade Granola
makes about 6 cups

INGREDIENTS
2 cups old fashioned oats {not instant or quick cooking}
1 cup shredded coconut {I prefer unsweetened but either work}
1 cup nuts {I switch between almonds and pecans most often}, sliced or chopped
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups mixed dried fruit {apricots, cherries, blueberries, etc}

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the oats, coconut and almonds together. Whisk the honey, vegetable oil, cinnamon and salt until combined, pour over oat mixture and toss to coat.

Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a golden brown. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure the mixture browns evenly. The browner the oats get, without burning, the crunchier your granola will be.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, add the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container and enjoy with milk or over yogurt.

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Do any of you make your own granola? Do you have any favorite combinations I should try?

Some of my favorite nut and fruit combos are almonds+apricots, pecans+coconut+ raisins, and walnuts+cherries. But it's also fun to add a mix of different nuts and fruit. Even if you go crazy it will still be good!

xox