The Very Best Granola Recipe Evar!

Granola is one of my very favorite foods. Mmm mmm mmm! It’s great for breakfast, it’s great for lunch, it’s a great snack. You can eat it with milk or by itself or my very favorite way, mixed into yogurt.

This recipe is really adaptable. You can add pretty much whatever are your favorite combinations!! Here’s the steps to make it. The recipe is at the end.

Preheat your oven to 250°. In a small saucepan on medium heat, mix together 1/2 cup of your favorite oil, 1/2 cup of your favorite sweetener, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Cook and stir just until it’s melted together.

While your other ingredients are melting, mix in a large mixing bowl, 3 cups oatmeal and 4 cups of your “other stuff”. My favorites are sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, chopped filberts and flax seed. Other good stuff are pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, walnuts, almonds or pecans. There are a lot of other awesome ideas too that I can’t even think of. I basically do 1 cup of each of the other 4 things I’m using. If you use wheat germ, I highly recommend only using 3 cups of “other stuff”. Don’t put in any dried fruit or chocolate at this point.

Pour the melted mixture into the dry stuff and stir until it’s all combined.

Spread onto a rimmed cookie sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

It’s done when the granola is nice and golden. But not too golden, because it does harden up as it cools. It took me a while to be able to tell exactly when it was done, but my tester batches weren’t terrible to eat and now I think I’ve got it figured out.

If you want to add dried fruit or chocolate, wait until the granola is mostly cool and then mix in 1-2 cups of dried fruit or chocolate chips or m&ms. (Personally, I just like the granola with no add-ins).

Let the granola cool completely and then break it up and store in an airtight container. It should last a couple weeks, IF you don’t eat it up as soon as it’s cool.

In winter, I eat granola mixed into yogurt with raisins or dates. In other seasons, I love sliced strawberries or my favorite… blueberries! Yum!!

I have to know though- what do you love in your granola? What are your favorite add-ins?

Here’s the Official Recipe:

The Very Best Ever Granola

½ c. honey or maple syrup
½ c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. oil (safflower, coconut, sunflower)
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 c. rolled oats
4 c. other stuff: sunflower seeds, filberts, flax seed, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds?, coconut, pecans, etc…
1-2 c. dried fruit or chocolate- chop up apples, apricot and other large fruit pieces. Use chocolate chips or m&ms.

In a small sauce pan, heat slowly brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil. Mix well as it heats.

In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups rolled oats and 4 cups of other stuff

Once the liquids have melted thoroughly and have been mixed thoroughly, pour into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix together until its all coated.

over a large cookie sheet with sides with parchment paper. Spread the granola mixture on the baking sheet. Bake at 250 for one hour – stir every 15 minutes.

Allow to cool mostly and add in 1-2 cups of dried fruit, or chocolate if desired.

Let cool completely and then pour into an airtight container. Break up as necessary.

Chrissy Leiberan-Titus writes for Muse of the Morning.com