The Best Almond Granola

I love granola, but over the years, I found myself repeatedly buying granola that just wasn't exactly right. So naturally, I decided I could make it better and healthier by myself. This is the recipe I came up with after some trial and error. I have been making it regularly for a couple of years. While I have worked on variations, this is the staple that everyone loves:

Granola

Ingredients:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
• ½ cup raw pecan or cashew pieces
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Coconut oil, melted (a little less than 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Stir together all dry ingredients in a very large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, honey, and vanilla.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Add a few tablespoons of melted coconut oil until the mixture is all slightly damp.
6. Pour into a single layer on two large cookie sheets coated with cooking spray.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir contents, arrange in single layer again and continue baking until it just starts to turn tan, stirring every 10 minutes. Mine usually bakes for a total of about 30 minutes. Granola becomes crunchy as it cools. After cooling, you can stir in dried fruit if you want.

I find that it stays fresher if stored in a glass container.