Healthy Homemade Granola

Granola seems like one of those things that any healthy eater ought to have on hand. Whole grains, nuts, dried fruit: all these are good-for-you, energy-giving ingredients. But the truth is that many pre-packaged varieties of granola contain a lot of unnecessary added fat, preservatives, and “extras? (flavorings, colorings, and so on). As well, store-bought granola can be expensive, especially if it’s organic. Ironically, in this day and age, we tend to shell out more dollars for fewer and simpler ingredients in our food. The last time I picked up a bag of Bear Naked granola in the grocery store, I felt myself grow ill at the sight of the price tag, and I quickly put it back on the shelf. At that point, I became determined to start making my own. I haven’t been sorry.

Homemade granola is easy to make, requiring just a few ingredients and a little time. One batch makes about a half gallon. It can be customized as well – if you like crunchy clusters, increase the amount of honey. You can use any kind of rolled grains, not just oats (although they’re the most common), any kind of chopped nuts, and any kind of dried fruit. You can also switch out the spices to suit your taste. Just use the quantities below as a guide for making your own combinations. The recipe below is very basic, using ingredients that are easy to find (you probably have most of them in your pantry already), and which most people like.

Homemade Granola

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick-cooking or instant variety)
12-16 ounces sliced raw almonds
8 ounces shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup honey (raw is best, but if it’s in solid form, you’ll need to melt it so that it will stir in easily)
1-1/2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients but the raisins, mixing well Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet or in two 9″ x 13″ pans.

Bake 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes so that the untoasted granola underneath is brought to the top. The darker it gets, the crunchier it will be.

Cool on a rack, and when no longer hot, stir in the raisins. Store in a tightly sealed container or zippered plastic bag in the refrigerator; it keeps indefinitely.