Homemade Granola

My mom often made granola at home when I was growing up. I believe she used a recipe from a cookbook of my father’s from the 70s. Later, when my siblings and I came home from college for breaks, she would often make a triple batch to send us each back with a large container of granola. Mine was labeled “Marie -no raisins”. To this day, this granola is my favorite – not too sweet, full of crunchy goodness, and a perfect topping for yogurt with some seasonal fruit as a breakfast or snack. My 2 year old loves it, too, although she has a hard time pronouncing “granola”.

Granola

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup flax meal (or wheat germ)
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first four ingredients in large bowl.

Stir oil, syrup, vanilla, and salt* in saucepan over medium-low heat until combined.

Add sauce to dry ingredients in the bowl and stir well to combine.

Spread ingredients evenly over 2 baking sheets.

Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and swapping top/bottom tray to ensure even baking.

Cool slightly before adding optional dried fruit.

Cool completely before transferring to airtight container for storage.

* The original recipe also calls for 1/4 cup brown sugar, to be combined on the stove at the same time as the oil and honey. I feel the recipe is plenty sweet without this and do not include it.