Crunchy Granola

My husband's go-to breakfast is a bowl of granola topped with a few blackberries. We pick them in late summer and freeze bags of them for winter. Sometimes he thaws them out a little in the microwave, most often he eats them frozen. They thaw quickly when milk is poured on them.


Granola is something I've always made. I've gone through several recipes, this is the latest rendition. It's simple, has minimal ingredients, but the add-ins are limited only by your taste.


Crunchy Granola


9 cups whole oats (I use wild oats when I can find them) (rolled oats work as well - they just don't have the same "chew" factor)
2/3 to 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2/3 cup melted butter, or a combination of butter/margarine and canola oil (I use a combination - using about half butter gives a wonderful taste and contributes to the crunch factor)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Stir together the oats, nuts and cinnamon in a large, ungreased baking pan. I use a 10 x 15 Pyrex baking dish. A rimmed baking sheet would work as well.


Melt the butter, add the honey and oil, and heat until liquid. Pour over the oats and stir to combine thoroughly.


Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When cool, add in extras, if desired.


Serve with milk or yogurt, or applesauce. Top with berries


Add-ins:
coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, dates, apricots, sunflower or pumpkin seeds