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I started making my own granola as a way to use some of the nuts in my freezer (I still have them 
). I vary the dried fruits and nuts but the basic recipe is the same. This is loosely based on one in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I marked the things that are optional but that is what makes it so tasty -- include a lot of them! It's not very sweet so if you don't use sweetened coconut you might want to add more honey. If you use any nuts that are already roasted add them with the dried fruit at the end.
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened if you like)
1-2 cups chopped raw nuts (sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflowers, hazelnuts, etc)
1/3 cup ground flax, optional (if you buy the seeds whole, grind in a coffee grinder)
2/3 cup oat bran or wheat germ, optional
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
1/3 cup fruit juice, optional (cranberry or orange is good)
2 cups dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, cherries, blueberries, apricots, figs, crushed banana chips, etc)
zest of one orange, optional
2-4 T chopped crystalized ginger, optional
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together oats, coconut, nuts, flax seed, and oat bran. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl (it helps to heat the honey a bit). If you include juice, add that to the oil and honey. Pour the liquid over the oats and stir until the oats are about evenly moist. Spread onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Baking, stirring once or twice, for about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. Stir a few times as it cools. Return to bowl and add in dried fruit and orange zest and ginger (if using). Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.
). I vary the dried fruits and nuts but the basic recipe is the same. This is loosely based on one in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I marked the things that are optional but that is what makes it so tasty -- include a lot of them! It's not very sweet so if you don't use sweetened coconut you might want to add more honey. If you use any nuts that are already roasted add them with the dried fruit at the end.4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened if you like)
1-2 cups chopped raw nuts (sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflowers, hazelnuts, etc)
1/3 cup ground flax, optional (if you buy the seeds whole, grind in a coffee grinder)
2/3 cup oat bran or wheat germ, optional
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
1/3 cup fruit juice, optional (cranberry or orange is good)
2 cups dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, cherries, blueberries, apricots, figs, crushed banana chips, etc)
zest of one orange, optional
2-4 T chopped crystalized ginger, optional
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together oats, coconut, nuts, flax seed, and oat bran. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl (it helps to heat the honey a bit). If you include juice, add that to the oil and honey. Pour the liquid over the oats and stir until the oats are about evenly moist. Spread onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Baking, stirring once or twice, for about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. Stir a few times as it cools. Return to bowl and add in dried fruit and orange zest and ginger (if using). Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.
I have cut back on the oil to 1/2c and add in a splash of orange juice. That seems to work just fine.
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