Make Your Own Granola – Delicious, Healthy and Inexpensive!

Here’s a simple recipe that you can use to make your own healthy breakfast cereal. You can use organic and/or vegetarian ingredients if you wish, and substitute other goodies to suit your taste. Plus — with the cost of organic rolled oats at about $1 a pound — you can save tons of money by making your own!

Here’s the basic recipe for my favorite granola blend. I call it Oatmeal Cookie Granola and your kitchen will smell just like homemade oatmeal raisin cookies while you’re baking it! This granola makes a satisfying, filling breakfast served with milk and is also great sprinkled over yogurt.

Oatmeal Cookie Granola

4 cups organic rolled oats (the old-fashioned kind, not the instant or quick-cook type)

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup chopped, blanched almonds

3 tablespoons butter (or substitute canola oil for the vegan version)

3 tablespoons canola oil

2/3 cup honey (or substitute maple syrup or packed brown sugar for the vegan version)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Grease a large cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during the baking process. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container. Makes about 5 cups, or 10 servings.

Feel free to adjust this recipe to suit your own tastes. You might like to experiment with other dried fruits (dried cherries are a personal favorite) like dates, currants, chopped apricots, pineapple, craisins, dried apples, banana chips, coconut, etc. as well as nuts and seeds such as pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flax seed, pepitas, etc.

If you like crunchy clusters in your granola, add 2 tablespoons of water to the mixture and squeeze the clusters together with your hands prior to baking.