Homemade Granola

Frustrating things about granola is that it is such a simple idea, yet so expensive if purchased from the store. On the other hand there are homemade recipes that call for several ingredients that are not common in the home and extremely expensive. So what to do? You want a healthy snack that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. When following this recipe, I am able to find most of the ingredients in my home, and if not, they are a reasonable price at the store. The goal is to save money by not purchasing granola from the store, not to spend more.

Best part about this is it is healthy, but still makes your house smell like cookies.

Preheat the oven 300 degrees. Mix the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Remember you can always add more oats, but you can’t take them out. I like to start with 2.5 cups and gradually add the other ½ cup to get to the texture I like. Also I like my granola chunky, so I sometimes add fewer oats. 

Then add in the honey, vegetable, and vanilla to the bowl. I suggest mixing the vanilla in with the vegetable oil before adding to the oat mixture. That way it won’t soak into oats immediately and will be evenly mixed in. Some suggest mixing the honey, oil, and vanilla sir and then add to the bowl; however, I like to minimize the amount of times I transfer honey from bowls. A little gets left each time it is transferred to another bowl, so it is just best to immediately add to the oat mixture. 

 Once the wet ingredients are evenly mixed in with the oats, mix in the raisins and sliced almonds. Then spread the granola evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment papers. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and cook until the granola is golden brown. Careful to not overcook as the granola might not be burnt, but the raisins might burn undetected and completely ruin the granola. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups of rolled oats – not instant
3 tbsp of light brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup raisins
½ cup almond slices

Preheat the oven 300 degrees. Mix the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Then add in the honey, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Once the wet ingredients are evenly mixed in with the oats, mix in the raisins and sliced almonds. Then spread the granola evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment papers. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and cook until the granola is golden brown.