Homemade Granola

In my house, we are crazy about granola. You won't find boxed cereal now that M is past his Cheerios obsession. Nope, we like crunchy, nutty granola, something that won't get soggy sitting in yogurt. We've tried many boxed granolas, and find them either too bland or too sugary. We like the granola you get in the bulk foods section at our local grocery store, but I'm often left wondering just what's in there.

So this month, when Everyday Food arrived, and there was a recipe for homemade granola, I just had to give it a shot. I ended up modifying the recipe, kind of a blend between the one in the magazine and the one Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family. This is what I came up with:

Favorite Homemade Granola

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup sunflour seeds

pinch of salt

a generous pinch of cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup honey

1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter

1/3 cup low sugar dried pineapple

1/3 cup craisins

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 300F. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Place the butter, honey, and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, until butter melts and all is combined (stirring occassionally). Slowly pour the butter mixture into the oats mixture, stirring as you go. The oats will be sticky but not wet. Spread on a rimmed cookie sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until evenly browned and crispy. Let it cool down a bit, and add the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy!

I bet it would be equally delicious with different nuts or dried fruits; these are the ones we used because it's what we had on hand. Enjoy!