The recipe for this sweet and crunchy granola was given to me by my own Kitchen Princess, my daughter Francesca!

Ingredients – old fashioned oatmeal,  almonds,  pecans,  raisins,  dried cranberries,  brown sugar,  vanilla,  honey,  coconut and cinnamon.

Mix together oats,  nuts,  flaked coconut,  salt and cinnamon.

In a small saucepan combine oil,  honey  and brown sugar.

Bring the oil, honey and brown sugar to a boil and then add the vanilla.

Drizzle syrup over oat mixture and toss with a big spoon.

Stir everything together.  Pour granola onto the baking sheet.

Spread evenly in the pan with the back of a large spoon.

Bake granola in a 325 degree oven,  stirring occasionally with a spatula.

Add the raisins and dried cranberries and bake for another 5 minutes.

Let granola cool completely.

Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Isn’t that gorgeous?  Crunchy,  healthy,  delicious!

Kitchen Princess Granola – Ingredients

(Makes 8 cups)

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (I get mine at Whole Foods)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Kitchen Princess Granola – Method

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil or butter.  In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, cinammon and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine oil, honey and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla. It will sizzle!
3. Drizzle syrup over oat mixture and toss with a big spoon.  You may need to use your hands to blend but be careful,  it’s hot!
4. Pour granola onto the baking sheet and spread evenly.  Bake, stirring occasionally until golden, about 20 minutes. Now add the raisins and dried cranberries and bake another 5 minutes.
5. Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack.  Break into chunks and store in an airtight container.

Princess Tips

• Add the raisins or cranberries during the last 5 minutes. If you add them at the beginning they turn into hard little teeth-breaking nuggets.
• The granola will get crunchy as it cools.
• I have come up with this schedule of stirring: bake 7 minutes, stir. Bake another 7 minutes, stir again. Bake 4 minutes, add raisins and cranberries and stir again. Bake 5 more minutes and it should be perfect!
• Feel free to try different ingredients. Use your favorite dried fruit.  Try figs, dates, apricots, dried pineapple, cherries, prunes, etc.
• Any nuts you like are fine. Walnuts and hazelnuts both work great. So do cashews, pistachios, macadamias, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. Wheat germ works too.
• Enjoy your crunchy granola by itself or layer in a glass as a fresh yogurt, granola and berry parfait. Or, add to pancake batter with sliced bananas. Yum!