For those of you that have been reading ICTW for a long time, you’ll be thinking, hey this isn’t the first time you’ve made granola before. And you know what – you’re right! I’ve been making granola for years. I grew up with my mom making a batch of granola nearly weekly (thanks to my brother’s obsession, which he passed along to me) and when I moved out of the house I missed it a ton. The store bought granola, while yummy, just didn’t cut it. So, every so often, I get on a granola kick and have to make a big batch for myself.

Luckily for me, my kids are loving granola these days as well. So, now I have someone to share it with!

This is another one of my mom’s recipes that she has been making for a while. I shared another one of her granola recipes here, but these days, the recipe below is what I’ve been craving.

Easy Homemade Granola

Here’s what you need: 

• 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats, or organic oats
• 2 cups slivered almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (Note, if you can’t find and need to use sweetened, it’s okay, I’ve been there)
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (I’ve also used honey)
• Optional: 2 cups dried fruit (I love dried cherries and blueberries)

Here’s what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl – oats, nuts,  coconut, cinnamon and brown sugar.
3. In a small bowl, combine avocado oil and maple syrup. Once mixed, pour over dry ingredients. Mix well so it’s evenly distributed.
4. Pour out mixture onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking and stirring at about halfway through.
6. Now the hardest part — let cool and enjoy!  I add in the optional dried fruit AFTER baking, so the fruit does’t also dry out any more.

Suggestions – if you’d prefer not to just eat granola right out of the jar, you can also serve over yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal or on top of your favorite smoothie bowl!

Questions for you:

• What’s your go-to breakfast?
• What’s your favorite type of granola?

I’m linking up with Meatless Monday with A Whisk and Two Wands and Confessions of a Mother Runner