In my mind I refer to this granola as Strawberry or Raspberry Dream Granola. Because it is so darned delicious and pretty darn healthy too. Not a lot of oil, and even then, it’s a “good” oil. And mostly sweetened by honey, with only a couple tablespoons of brown sugar thrown in to enhance the sweet-tart flavor from all the strawberry/raspberry action going on! All in all, a very delightful combination of ingredients if I do say so myself. And a lovely way to get any morning off to a good start.  

Now I know I already have several recipes for granola on this site. But we eat a lot of granola and I never want our taste buds to get bored. Plus, it’s really fun to experiment with different flavor combinations. But, in truth, almost any homemade granola is better for us and more to our liking than any similar product on the market. (No nasty, unpronounceable ingredients either!)  

And although some of the well-known brands like Nature Valley and Quaker Oats offer a good product, these cereals simply can’t compete with homemade granolas that include our favorite additives – nuts, dried and freeze-dried fruit, and coconut. (You notice, I didn’t mention chocolate chips. Because as much as I love chocolate chips, I just can’t imagine them in a breakfast cereal. Plus, I don’t want to experience any guilt from the breakfast food I consume. It would set a bad precedent for the rest of my day. Even though, it is almost inevitable that something I eat later in the day will fulfill my daily ration of food guilt! But if possible, I prefer to keep my guilt under control as far into my day as can be expected from a person with no will power!)

So, now you have the full story of why I enjoy preparing and consuming homemade granola. My work here is done.

As always, keep loving your time in the kitchen. Keep finding new and delicious ways to keep yourself and your family healthy. And continue striving to serve food that your family will still be enthusiastically talking about for days on end.

I realize it can be a daunting challenge. I get that. But as cooks, most of us still take no greater pleasure than in making people happy with the food we prepare. It must be part of our DNA makeup. So, I guess it all comes down to – just be yourself. And everything else will just naturally and beautifully fall into place.

Peace and love to all.

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. honey

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  

1½ c. roughly chopped almonds (or nut of choice)

1 c. coconut flakes

1 c. dried strawberries OR raspberries

4 T. freeze dried strawberry OR raspberry powder

1 c. freeze-dried strawberries OR raspberries (I use a 1.2-oz. package from Trader Joe’s)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla together. Stir in the oats and nuts until they are evenly coated with the olive oil mixture. Spoon the granola evenly onto a large-rimmed baking sheet or sheets lined with parchment paper. (Don’t wash the mixing bowl.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 11-12 minutes or until the oats are a lightly golden color.

Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Stir in the dried strawberries or raspberries and the freeze-dried strawberry or raspberry powder. Allow to cool undisturbed until completely cool. (The granola will crisp up as it cools.) Stir in the freeze-dried berries.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Wonderful served with milk or for a special treat, serve as a parfait with yogurt.