I love this recipe because of its flexibility. Basically, there are two parts of preparing the mixture: the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. There is a lot of room for experimentation! I will describe how I usually make it, but also some variations.
Combine the following dry ingredients:
4 cups old fashioned oats, 1 cup sliced almonds, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Combine the following wet ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Carefully pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and spread the granola onto it. DO NOT skip this step! I have tried to use cooking spray and half the granola was baked onto the dish! It was a messy pain! Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 40-60 minutes. Be sure to stir every 10 minutes.
VARIATIONS: I often add wheat germ, flaxseed, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, steel oats, or different nuts; just be sure the dry ingredients make up about 4 cups. If you would like to add dried fruit, chocolate chips, or m&m’s, do so after the granola has cooled. I have a friend who substituted a different oil, but I have never tried that. I hope you enjoy! It doesn’t last long in my house, so we usually double the batch.