Homemade Granola

Sharing the recipe for my homemade granola here for the sweet IG friend who asked…

I started with Barbara's recipe for Brown Sugar Granola but made a few changes for my family's taste and preferences. We don't like coconut so I tried subbing the coconut for nuts but then we found out that Sean can't have nuts so I just leave them both out unless I'm making a batch just for kids. They really like the nuts in it. Here is my version:

Brown Sugar Granola

3 C. old fashioned oats
1 C. chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts…all optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 C. oil
2 egg whites
1/2- 3/4 C. dried fruit (Craisins are really yummy!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and brown sugar with a whisk to mix well. In a measuring cup, mix all extracts oil and egg whites. (If you don't have another use for  the yolks, boil them up and feed them to your dog. She will love you for it!) Pour the wet into the dry and mix with a fork. Don't break up the clumps. Clumps are good! Dump onto a cookie sheet and spread out thin. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir gently so as not to break up the clumps (Clumps are good!) Bake another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola. Let is cool completely and try not to let your little hands snitch away the whole tray while it's still warm… you might want to put it up high where they can't reach it. Don't store until completely cooled or it won't stay crisp. Enjoy!