Sarah’s Homemade Granola

My dear friend Sarah is one of my biggest supporters in keeping up my wee blog : ) We both have a love of baking and cooking and we often share recipes and drop off bits of this and that for each other to try. For my Birthday Sarah dropped off a delicious batch of her favourite homemade granola, and I asked her if I could share the recipe. She adapted it especially for me knowing there are a few nuts I can’t eat. This is a fantastic recipe and I am so happy to share one of Sarah’s favourites! Thanks Sarah xo

Ingredients:

• 4 cups large flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats
• 1 heaping cup of chopped almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (add desired amounts of each to equal 1 cup)
• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup good honey
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 1 cup of dried cranberries and chopped dried apricots (or other favourite dried chopped fruit)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350º and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Whisk the oil, honey, and apple juice in a large measuring cup.
3. Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a spatula until all of the oats, nuts and seeds are coated.  Spread onto the pan.  Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, around 30-40 minutes, depending on the oven.
4. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool completely on the sheet stirring occasionally.
5. Transfer to a large bowl with lid and stir in the dried fruit.
6. Store cooled granola in an airtight container or package for gifts in individual containers. Sarah delivered the granola in a mason jar which is adorable!

Sarah’s recipe was inspired by:

http://kissmyspatula.com/2009/04/28/best-homemade-granola/