And yes, I know I have other recipes for granola on this site. But I like variety. And we eat a lot of granola. Oats are good for us. But one of us, hates oatmeal. With a purple passion. And can’t even get it passed her nose. So therefore, I have to get oats into my diet in some other form.

I love oatmeal cookies, but that probably isn’t what my doctor would recommend as a way to get oats into my daily eating routine. (My doctor has no sympathy or compassion when it comes to my weight and high blood pressure. And why should she? She’s 30 something, skinny as a rail, and probably never tasted a really good cookie in her life! But to her credit, she cares if I live or die. So really, I can’t fault her for that!) So it’s granola for Mr. C. and me. (And yes, I will and do make cooked oatmeal for Mr. C. upon request. But he must prefer granola, because he rarely asks for cooked steel cut oats with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream.)  

And thankfully, homemade granola is not only delicious, and easy to prepare, it’s a whole lot less expensive than the stuff you can buy in the store. I mean really! How can oats with a bit of nuts and fruit cost so much? Who are these manufacturers trying to kid? We consumers aren’t stupid. Most of us know how much ingredients cost. But apparently there are those who either don’t care, or don’t have the time to make homemade granola that not only tastes much better than store bought, but is a fraction of the cost. (OK, granola isn’t inexpensive to make. But if you take into consideration the ratio of nuts and fruit to oats in a homemade granola as compared with store bought, you are really getting more bang for your bucks when you prepare granola at home. OK, I’ll get off my high horse now and get back to how wonderful this granola tastes when topped with vanilla yogurt, fruit, or just a bit of milk.)

And yes I know that granola can be very caloric. But when you only eat ¼ cup a day, like we do, how bad can that be?

So if you too love granola, but are tired of paying an exorbitant price for oats that have been lightly mixed with a couple of additives, plus ingredients you can’t pronounce that both you and I know can’t possibly be good for us, give this, or any of my other granola recipes a try. Or pretty much any homemade granola recipe that appears on the internet that takes your fancy. Any granola that contains oats, no fillers or preservatives, and plenty of fruit and nuts, just has to be better for you than what you can purchase at your beloved local grocery store.

So do it. Make your own granola. Treat your family to a breakfast that really lives up to the promise of “breakfast of champions”.

And as always – have fun in your kitchen, fix food that is not only tasty but nutritious, and whenever possible, don’t buy deli dinners or food that is prepared, packaged, processed, or contains ingredients you can’t pronounce. OK, once in a while is acceptable. But as a habit, just learn to say – no thank you! Love and peace to all.

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. real maple syrup

2 T. molasses (not Blackstrap)  

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c. pecans

½ c. walnuts

½ c. hazelnuts

1 c. unsweetened coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes) 

½ c. chopped dried cranberries

½ c. chopped dried apple slices

½ c. chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Actually, you may need more than one pan.)

In a large bowl whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together. Stir in the oats, nuts, and coconut.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet(s) and spread into an even layer. (Don’t wash the bowl.)

Bake until lightly golden, about 23 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking process. Remove from oven, pour back into the same bowl, and stir in the dried fruit. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Note: Use any kind of nuts you prefer in this granola. Same with dried fruit. The nuts and fruits I used above are just a guideline. But I must say, the candied ginger was terrific in this granola. So if you have some, I would recommend you use it, albeit gingerly. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)