My New Favorite Granola

In the summer one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is Greek yogurt, drizzled with a little honey, and topped with granola and fresh berries. I never buy store bought granola though since more have unnecessary fats, sugars, and preservatives. I've experimented with several homemade granolas over the past couple of years and this recipe from Baked is my current favorite. It's not totally healthy since it does contain some oil, but it has a great flavor and texture. I'll post the recipe below the way that I make it, but keep in mind that you can always substitute other types of nuts and dried fruit. I happen to like almonds the best, but I've also made granola with walnuts and cashews and liked those a lot as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Pour this mixture over the oat mixture and gently stir.

Then use your hands to combine the mixture (squeeze small fist fulls) until all of the oats are well coated. {Note: using your hands really makes a huge difference in the final texture of the granola. Something about this step results in granola with more "chunks"}

Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread out evenly.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the over and add the almonds. Using a metal spatula, flip the granola over and incorporate the almonds.

Bake for another 10 minutes and then remove from the over to stir again with the spatula.

Bake for a final 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the cherries and raisins over the granola and transfer to an airtight container for storage.

*Recipe adapted from the cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking