Have you heard how simple granola is to make from scratch? I had, and yet I hadn’t tried it until last week. Turns out everyone was right; this is pretty stinking easy. If you can stir, you can make homemade granola!

There are many reasons to make granola at home:

• It’s a lot more affordable than buying premade, especially now as everyone is trying to save as much money as we can.
• You can customize flavors and additions. Use whatever your heart desires – spices, extracts, dried fruits, nuts, even chocolate chips – to make your granola into anything you wish.
• You can customize the amount you wish to make. Need a lot to feed a large group or restock your pantry? Or perhaps you’d rather make just enough for a single serving without creating waste. This recipe is a great way to do that.
• You can control your ingredients, keeping your homemade granola simple, clean, and healthier than many other counterparts.
• It’s easy to make this granola sugar-free yet tasty, which is hard to find in the cereal aisle at the grocery store.

Once you’ve made this simple basic granola, you can use it in trail mix, yogurt parfaits, morning cereal, or even an oat topping to a fruit crumble dessert. It’s incredibly versatile!

Simple Homemade Granola
(Original recipe: Like Mother Like Daughter)

1/2 C brown sugar (or sugar substitute)
1/2 C honey (or stevia-sweetened syrup)
1/4 C neutral oil, like avocado oil
4 C old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
OPTIONAL: add ins, such as dried fruits, nuts, or baking chips*

Preheat oven to 250F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray/oil or rub with butter.

Combine brown sugar (or substitute), honey (or stevia syrup), and oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over oats. Add cinnamon and salt. Stir until all the oats are evenly coated.

Spread the mixture over your prepared cookie sheet, pressing the mixture down. Place it in the oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Resist the urge to crumble the granola immediately, and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, break apart and into smaller pieces. This will help create better clusters.

Store in an air tight bag or container to keep it from going stale.

*TIP: Different add-ins should be added at different times. Add dried fruits, baking chips, or already-roasted nuts after your granola has cooled. If you’re adding raw nuts, however, add them before putting into the oven, so the nuts can roast while the oats bake.