Favorite Granola

Granola is one of those things that I love eating, but tend to stay away from, because of the high sugar/calorie content in store bought brands. Over the past few months, I have started to make my own so I could control the amount of sugar and also experiment with different fruits, nuts, grains and other yummy add-ins. Here are my 2 favorite recipes;

Fruity Granola
4 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 cup dried apricots

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine oats, nuts, fruit, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Bring honey, oil and sugar to a boil and remove from heat. Add in vanilla/almond extract and stir until combined. Pour liquid mixture over oats etc and toss with a wooden spoon.

Spread granola onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake stirring occasionally, until golden (about 25 minutes).  Remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely. Store in an airtight container


Wheaty Granola (S. Chow's recipe)
6 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup dry milk
1 cup coconut
1 cup pecans
1 cup oil (canola, vegetable)
1 cup honey

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture, while pouring in the oil and honey. Once mixed, spread granola onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.   Remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely. Store in an airtight container.