Homemade Granola

Granola is a great staple to have around for breakfast with fruit and yogurt, as a snack on a hike, etc. The only tough part is that not only is it usually fairly pricey for a cereal, it also can be tough to find a healthy version. I was on a mission awhile back to find a granola recipe that was quick and easy to make at home as well as healthier (I always enjoy knowing the ingredients that are in my food.).

Cooking Light never lets me down on healthy, light recipes and I constantly am looking at their website and magazine for ideas. I have been using their Power Granola recipe as my go-to base granola recipe for awhile now and really enjoy it. The great thing about granola is that once you find a base mixture you like you can add in any variations of fruit, nuts, etc. that you like.

Below is the recipe and just to note on my latest batch that is pictured I added in fresh cranberries that I had leftover from Thanksgiving. I ran about 2 cups through the food processor to give them a rough grate and then threw them in with the granola mixture right before baking. The gorgeous red of the cranberries adds a bit of a festive feel for this time of year! In addition I doubled the recipe... believe me it will go fast!

Recipe
(Adapted from Cooking Light)

4 cups regular oats
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup chopped almonds
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh cranberries (grated in a food processor)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl.

Next, Combine orange juice, agave nectar, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in oil and vanilla. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture, stirring to coat. Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a baking sheet or jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 300° for 30-40 minutes minutes making sure that you stir the mixture every 10 minutes or so and until golden brown (bake longer to make it more crunchy).




Note: Store completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.