Granola, Honey

Granola, Honey

6 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 cup wheat germ
½ cup wheat bran
1 cup chopped, mixed nuts
1 cup snipped mixed dried fruit and/or raisins, dates, figs, etc.
1 cup sunflower and/or sesame seeds
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup honey or ½ cup honey + ¼ cup molasses
1 Tb. vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg or allspice or ground cloves

Mix all ingredients. Bake in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan in a preheated 350° oven 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently to brown lightly and evenly. Cool. Stir until crumbly. Store in container with tight-fitting lid.


Becky's Note: I try to keep most of these ingredients in my food storage so I can make this granola as needed.  It is much better than most breakfast cereal!  I often make it without the wheat germ and bran and I like to add more coconut and nuts.  We like our granola in bigger pieces so after I get the granola out of the oven I press it down in the pan and let it cool.  Then when I break it into pieces I try to keep the pieces big (about the size of a quarter).

Mom's Note: I like to add the dried fruit after baking. I bake it at 250° for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, rotating pans in the oven if I have two of them. By not stirring at all you get nice big clumps for snacking on and all the smaller crumbles you can use as cereal, with yogurt, etc. If it is getting too brown, you must stir it, or call it done!