Homemade Granola

One of my favorite things to throw in the oven is a fresh batch of granola. It warms the house up with such a delicious scent and leaves you with handfuls of sweet treats for days to come.  It's best to use raw, organic ingredients whenever possible.  These measurements are flexible; don't worry too much about being exact. Get creative and use any combination of healthy ingredients to make your own flavor. *If you're grain-free, feel free to follow this recipe without the rolled oats but load up on more nuts/seeds & dried fruits!

Ingredients: 

2 cups rolled oats, aka old fashion oats (gluten free oats if GF)

1 cup raw nuts, chopped (I love sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.)

1/2 cup raw seeds (I love sunflower, pumpkin, chia, etc.)

1/4 cup unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (optional, I love dried apple during the fall!)

3 tablespoons grade-B maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1-2 egg whites (optional, but if you want a chunkier granola go for it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large pinch sea salt

sprinkle of cinnamon

handful of raisins

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients (except raisins) into a mixing bowl, using your hands to toss and coat.  The coconut oil may be solid, but your hands should warm it up so that there aren't any chunks left in the mixture.  Things will get sticky and messy, but that's the fun part about it!  Spread mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly toasted.  Give the mixture a stir and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes, stirring another time.  When the granola starts to brown a bit, it's ready.  Toss raisins into the granola and let cool before serving or storing.  This will keep in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 2 weeks.  I keep mine in a mason jar in the refrigerator.   ENJOY!

I'm psyched to have recently added goat and sheep milk's yogurt into my diet (with NO negative dairy side effects!), so I treated myself to a lovely parfait with the granola I made, as you can see above!