My sister inspired me last week to make my own, homemade, granola. A healthy, satisfying snack that I make myself…it sounded really good! Besides, I’m trying hard to be more aware of what my hands reach for come snack time and this seemed like the right thing to have around. Well, I’d never made homemade granola before so I didn’t even know how to go about it. I researched a little and came up with this recipe for Easy Granola  from RealSimple.com.

It was as the title says, easy! All you’ll need is 4 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick kind).

1 cup of sliced almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut (the unsweetened if fine for a healthier version).

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup dried fruit. I used dried blueberries. Also, don’t add this to the mix until after the baking…I forgot that part until it was almost too late!

These are your sweetening elements…it only calls for a 1/2 cup pure maple syrup. Well, as is quite standard for me, I ran out of syrup and had to use the rest of the honey in my pantry to make up for it. I didn’t think I could tell a difference, but next time I will make sure I have enough syrup.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, plus a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Mix it together with 2 tablespoons of canola oil before spreading on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Then bake it at a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Toss it half way through baking until it is golden and crisp.

Add the dried fruit…

And, enjoy! I tasted it by itself, with cold soy milk and on yogurt. It is light, crunchy and satisfying.