Cranberry Lemon Granola

People in the Pacific Northwest are supposed to be all “crunchy and granola,” right? So, technically speaking, I am fulfilling my stereotypical duties by making granola…?  Obviously the logic is there. I own flannel, bought into a CSA, own an embarrassing amount of Chaco shoes and more outdoor gear than I know what to do with. But still no crunchy granola…

I had wanted to make my own granola for a long time.  Heck, the first recipe ever posted on my blog was for homemade granola bars!  But as time went on, I still found myself without a jar full of some Ginger Cook Granola (I would totally market that by the way, it has a nice ring to it).  A few weeks ago, when I wasn’t feeling that well but still wanted to be in the kitchen, I decided to up and make it.  I had oats on hand, natural sweeteners, dried fruit, nuts and all things delicious.  I even had some citrus on hand to zest!

Now that I’ve made it, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to buying granola from the store.  Not only was making it from scratch SO CHEAP (how DO they get off charging us $6 for a tiny bag in the stores?), but I had SO much and it didn’t take much time at all!  Throw together some ingredients, bake, cool down and watch yourself devour every last bit in a few days.  I mean, that’s what happened with me but I somehow came down with the death flu and it was the only thing I could manage to eat.  And eat it I did!

I think the next batch I made I want to have a little bit of a topical feel – toasted coconut, dried mango, dried pineapple and some macadamia nuts. Maybe? 

Cranberry Lemon Almond Granola

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 cups rolled oats
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 TBSP canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• A little bit of lemon juice
• Almonds, roughly chopped (at your discretion, about 1 ½ cups)
• Dried cranberries (again, at your discretion, about 1 ½ cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together all dry ingredients except cranberries.
3. In a small bowl, combine honey, canola oil, a bit of lemon juice and vanilla extract. Whisk to fully combine. Pour over dry ingredients and toss until thoroughly coated. Divide mixture between cookie sheets, spreading into a thin layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Stir around granola, and rotate pans. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Watch carefully, it can burn!
5. Remove from oven and cool completely. Add dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!