Basic Almond Granola

Oh how I love granola. It's what actually attracted me to yogurt. I'm getting better at the proportions these days, but back before I fell in love with Greek yogurt, I would mix about a cup of granola with a tablespoon of yogurt & call it good. Now I just know better.

Granola is such an incredible thing but it can be quickly tarnished in my opinion. Neither John nor I enjoy dried fruits (especially raisins!) & a lot of granola recipes call for that. Ew. A lot of granola calls of mounds of sugar & we try to limit the amount of sugar we eat & eat the least processed kinds (like honey, maple syrup, & demerara). And almost all of the granola recipes I find are so massive in quantity that you're left with jars & jars of it, which might not be a bad thing if it's delicious, but if it's not so great, yikes (I know you could half the recipe, but that would mean I would have to do math).

This recipe, discovered by Lindsay over at The Live-In Kitchen, is delightfully nutty, crunchy, with just a hint of sweetness. It also made about 1.5 quarts, but now that I'm in love, I'll know to double the recipe next time. It's the most perfect quick little breakfast or snack, either eaten with milk, yogurt, or flying solo. Just don't give any to your unattended 18-month old or you'll be finding oatmeal bits stuck to your socks for weeks.

Basic Almond Granola
Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
1/4 cup whole raw almonds
1/4 cup raw honey
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl thoroughly combine all ingredients. Spread in a thick layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 30-40 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, gently flip/stir to evenly cook. If you like big clusters, try to keep it packed together. Continue to flip every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when lightly browned.

This granola pairs wonderfully with Greek-style crockpot yogurt!

Recipe adapted from The Live-In Kitchen