Homemade Granola

This morning we went to the dog beach (the BEACH in the middle of a Chicago January!) This weather is crazy, so we took advantage of it. I have to admit, the wind by Lake Michigan was actually quite chilly, so afterward I was in the mood to do something cozy. Like baking.

I'm also trying to stay away an overabundance of sweets following the holidays. As a result, I'm officially jumping on the homemade granola bandwagon. This was an easy afternoon project and I love that it is highly customizable based on taste.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey

The rest is really up to you depending on your taste and preference. Add in about 1/4 cup nuts and 1/3 cup dried fruit, plus your spices/flavoring.

Here is what I used:

• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/8 cup flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a dash of cinnamon
• a dash of nutmeg
• 1/3 cup (heaping) raisins/dried cranberries

Directions

1. Mix your oats and nuts together in a large bowl.
2. Add in the olive oil and honey.
3. Mix together until the dry mix is covered in the oil/honey.
4. Mix in vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Spread the granola on a baking sheet.

6. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees.
7. Add in the dried fruit, stir, and bake for about 10 more minutes (make sure to put the dried fruit in at the end so it doesn't burn.)
Note: The more you store the granola during the baking process, the fewer clumps you will have.

We went to Costco this afternoon and I bought 4 pounds of organic raisins for $7, so my batch is rather raisin-heavy. (What else am I going to do with that many raisins?) I think a version with coconut and mini chocolate chips or bananas, or dried apples and extra cinnamon would also be delicious. 

I'm storing my granola in mason jars that I bought for a soon-to-come DIY project.

The granola should keep for about a week or two (I plan to refrigerate mine.) I'm excited to top Greek yogurt with granola and honey for the next week!