Oat Granola Goodness

Hop on the healthy train with homemade granola for breakfast. It's super easy to make and tastes amazing because you can make it just the way you like it. The healthy whole grain oats give me lots of fiber while filling me up, and I love to add spices and dried fruits for a touch of healthy sweetness. Okay, I'll admit I make a small batch with chocolate and nuts sometimes for afternoons when I crave something a little indulgent. 

I have a base recipe that I use as a starting point; then I add lots of different mix-ins to spice things up. Some ideas to get your granola mixing mojo going...

• Mediterranean: 1 cup chopped dried dates, 1 cup chopped dried apricots, 1 chopped pecans, and 2 Tbs. cinnamon
• Gingerbread: 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. all spice, 1/4 tsp. clove
• Traverse City: 1 cup of chopped dried cherries, 1 cup of pistachios, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 2 Tbs. cinnamon
• Choco-nut: 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 1 cup slivered almonds, 1/3 cup dutch cocoa powder, 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• Banana Nut: 2 cups of banana chips broken into smaller pieces, 1 cup peanut butter chips
• Antioxidant Boost: 1 cup dried blueberries, 1 cup of almond slivers, 1/2 cup ground flax seed, 1/2 cup chia seeds

This granola base recipe takes 5 minutes to mix, 35 minutes to bake, and you'll have customized, homemade granola to enjoy. I like to buy the big 42-ounce canister of Quaker Oats old-fashioned oats, and it's enough to make 2 batches.

Yay to healthy and delicious!

I love this cocoa granola as an afternoon snack. Sprinkle it on yogurt or enjoy with fresh berries to add a healthy twist.

Honey Oat Granola

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup of honey (you can substitute with a blend of honey, molasses, or cane sugar)
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 6 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick or instant oats)
• Any spices, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, etc you want to use

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, honey, salt, and any spices you want to include (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.).
3. Add all the oats and any nuts you want to include (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.).
4. Line a baking pan (or a rimmed baking sheet) with aluminum foil. Evenly spread the oat mixture to cover the entire pan.
5. Bake the oats for 15 minutes. Then fold and mix the oats in the pan so they evenly brown. Bake the oats for another 20 minutes. Total baking time should be about 35 minutes or until the oats are golden brown.
6. At this point the oats will still be a little sticky, and that's okay! After baking, remove the oats from the oven and sprinkle any dried fruits, seeds, or melt-able ingredients (chocolate chips, caramel chips, etc.) over the top of the warm oat granola.
7. Let the granola cool for at least 2 hours undisturbed in the baking pan (no stirring). Once the granola is completely cooled, break up the granola into large chunks and store in an airtight container.