Granola

I have tried many granola recipes and have combined several here, to bring the best of each, with a good balance of healthy and tasty. Many granola recipes are delicious, but more like candy, this is my attempt to move toward a healthier version and still be delicious  Let me know how you like it.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups whole oats, Bob’s Red Mill is a good one
1 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, again, Bob’s Red Mill is good
1 cup chopped nuts, I like toasted slivered almonds
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or cherries (my preference)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbs. (77g) canola oil
6 Tbs. (120g) honey
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or cherries (my preference)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300º
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Toss together all of the dry ingredients, except the dried cranberries or cherries, in a very large bowl. The dried fruit will be added after baking the mixture and that way they stay soft. I found adding the dried fruit with the other ingredients and then baking just made the fruit too dried out and tough to chew. The texture is far better if you add them after the baking.

Combine the oil, honey, and vanilla in a saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring, just until the mixture is fluid. Do not boil or even simmer, just bring it to a cohesive liquid. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until well coated.

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or a Silpat. Spread the granola mixture on the sheet pans in an even layer, leaving a donut hole in the center (see below), for even baking, and bake on the middle and lower racks, without stirring, for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden.

Rotate the baking sheets, front to back and top to bottom halfway through. Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

NOTES
A little update here. I changed the dried berries from being added to the whole mixture, to adding after the baking. This ensures that they stay softer and then are easier to chew. I found that they were often too hard to chew after they had been baked. The pictures above show that original version where I baked them.

I also have straight up, halved this recipe, with great success. If you have a full house, or you’re looking to share some with friends, the original version will be fine. However, if you have a smaller household, straight up halving each ingredient works equally well and still makes a good amount.