Medical Monday: Best Granola Ever!

So this Medical Monday I thought I would share the recipe I use for homemade granola – especially since in the last month alone I have made *cough* three batches of it. Granola is so yummy, whether you eat it with milk, yogurt, or just plain, but it also can get pretty pricey for the good stuff. So after searching around online (thank you, pinterest) I found this recipe  from wallflour girl, and decided to give it a try. My husband and I loved it! Since then, I have actually tweaked it a little bit and added some extra ingredients that we really enjoy, as well as using a little extra of the liquid mixture, which made it more flavorful, clumpy and granola-like. So here is my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:

9 cups oats

1½ cups chopped nuts (we like almonds)

1 cup sweetened coconut 
3 cups brown sugar 

⅔ cup water

1 cup vegetable oil

½ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 cups of dried cranberries (add more dried fruit if your heart desires!)

(The italicized ingredients make up the liquid mixture.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease two 9x13 pans  (you could also put tinfoil in the bottom before greasing for easier clean up!).
Place oats, nuts, and coconut in pan, and mix well.

In medium saucepan, heat brown sugar and water until it just begins to boil.

Turn off heat, then stir in oil, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Pour over oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Oat mixture should be no more than 2 inches thick to ensure optimal crispiness.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes.

Let cool and add in desired dried fruit. Store in air-tight container.

And there you have it! I was surprised at how easy it is to make (and how delicious!) I will definitely be making my own granola from now on! On a side note, I have tried a recipe with a honey base, but it lacked the amazing flavor this one has, so for now we’re just keeping to this recipe. 

Just this last week finished off a whole batch! So needless to say, I will be making yet another batch at some point this week. :-)