Hearty Homemade Granola

Granola is one of those recipes you can take with you to almost any country in the world.
This one is chock-full of crunchy nuts and dried fruit.

Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup honey (or brown sugar)

Optional:  

• Sesame seeds and sunflower nuts.  

Add-ins (all optional, add after baking):

• 1 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or cashews
• 1 1/2 cup raisins or diced dried mango or other dried fruits

Instructions:

1. Combine oats and coconut in a large bowl.  Mix together the water, oil, vanilla, salt, and honey.  Pour over the oats mixture and stir.  Stir in a sprinkle of sesame seeds and 1/2 cup sunflower nuts (unsalted), if desired.
2. Spread on rimmed cookie sheets.  
3. Bake at 275 degrees, stirring and switching on oven racks after 30 minutes, 15 minutes, and 15 minutes.  (Approximately one hour total cooking time.)
4. Let cool.  Add wheat germ, nuts, and dried fruits.  (Or put them on the table with the granola and let each person choose how much to add.  This is what works best with my household of diverse tastes and allergies.)
5. Store in a tightly-closed glass container in the refrigerator.

Optional:  For Cinnamon Granola, substitute a tablespoon of cinnamon for the vanilla.

This recipe is gluten-free and can also be dairy-free if served with rice milk or other dairy-free alternative.