When trying to cut back on processed foods and sugars, homemade gives you more control over what you are ingesting. Making recipes with honey in place of sugar also adds health benefits. So if you are wanting something sweet to eat, here is a lovely flavored granola recipe you are sure to enjoy.
The young lady that lives with us, gave us a bottle of blood orange infused olive oil and a jar of raw honey for Christmas. Along with the olive oil was a recipe for granola. I made the recipe and it was a hit! Once blood oranges are available in this area, I want to learn how to infuse the olive oil myself. Until then, I replenish my supply at specialty olive oil stores. The flavor is so pleasant, it satisfies the sweet-tooth sans guilt.
I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper. Size the paper larger than your pan, this contains the granola as you stir it. Plus, I carefully lift one side of the sheet at a time to help stir the ingredients.
Homemade Granola
♥ Ingredients ♥
4 cups rolled or steel cut oats
3/4 cup cashews, broken in pieces
3/4 cup pecans, broken in pieces
1 cup or 5 ounce bag of dried cherries
1 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup unpasteurized or raw honey
1/2 cup blood orange infused olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– Mix oats, cashews, pecans, cherries, and coconut together in a bowl.
– Spread oat mixture onto a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When lining baking sheet, cut parchment paper larger than baking sheet.
– In a small pot, gently warm honey to a smooth liquid consistency. Add olive oil and vanilla whisking ingredients together for about thirty seconds to one minute. Liquid ingredients will not blend together 100%; pour honey/oil mixture evenly over oat mixture.
– Gently blend in to moisten oat mixture, then re-spread evenly on baking sheet.
– Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Every ten minutes, remove granola from oven, carefully stir granola to evenly blend wet and dry ingredients.
– Granola is done when golden brown.
– Cool, then store in a tightly sealed container.
Finishing the Race 