nosh on

Homemade granola is a)easy, b)highly adaptable, and c)delicious.

Just think about it--you can pick the sweetener (brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, among others, or a combination!), the fat (butter, vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, among others, or a combination!), and the mix-ins (literally endless possibilities, from pecans to coconut to chia seeds to raisins to dried pineapple!). All it takes is some patience and enough commitment to stir the granola around the pan every 15 minutes and you'll have a great snack in a little over an hour!

I picked coconut oil as my greaser-upper for this batch, mostly because I love the subtle flavor it contributes. I used a combination of maple syrup and brown sugar to sweeten things up, and I mixed in shredded coconut and pecans before baking and added golden and black red purple raisins at the very end.

I think this batch turned out splendidly. It's properly crunchy, and since I don't particularly like clusters (they're not very easy to eat mixed in yogurt, which is my vehicle of choice), the pieces were nicely sized too. Coconut is the predominant flavor thanks to the oil and the addition of shredded coconut, though the delicious flavor of the pecans is too strong to be completely overwhelmed. I didn't really taste much maple, which is a shame. Next time, I might take out a little brown sugar and replace it with maple syrup to see if that helps or hurts the situation.

This is a solid recipe and takes very little time and effort. Leave the packaged granola on the grocery store shelf and try making your own!

Coconut-Lover's Granola

(printable recipe)
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup purple raisins
• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix all the dry ingredients together except the raisins in a large bowl.
Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth.
Add the wet to the dry ingredients in a large bowl until the mixture is moistened.
Spread the mixture on a greased or lined baking sheet in a thin layer.
Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.