Crunchy Homemade Granola Recipe

This Crunchy Homemade Granola recipe makes some of the best granola you’ve ever tasted. It’s crunchy, nutty, and just sweet enough. It also has a great crunchy texture to excite the palette. You can modify the recipe and use other dried fruits instead of cranberries, see below. This is a great recipe for kids to make because it’s easy. Just add ingredients, mix and bake.

Granola Ingredients:

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (6-ounce) package dried sweetened cranberries or other dried fruits such as cherries, raisins, pineapple, or papaya

Crunchy Granola Recipe Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 300º. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, wheat germ, nuts, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

2. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the oil, honey, and water. Toss the mixture until the ingredients are well combined, then spread it evenly on a cookie sheet.

3. Bake the granola for 40 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes to keep the mixture from sticking. Let it cool completely, then stir in the cranberries or dried fruit. Makes about 7 cups

Alternative and Tips: add 1 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup slivered almonds and omit sesame seeds. After the granola is completely cooled, add half a bag of mini chocolate chips and Craisins cherry-flavored cranberries. Bake it on a sheet of parchment paper to prevent sticking and make it easy to lift it off the pan for easy spread out cooling.