Granola with Dried Fruit and Almonds
Oats and almonds bound in maple syrup and brown sugar, pressed flat on a sheet pan so it bakes into breakable clusters.
Variations: Honey-pecan - substitute honey for the sugar and pecans for the almonds; add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon to the oil mixture. Salted caramel-peanut - omit the raisins, increase salt to 1 ½ teaspoons, and substitute ¾ cup jarred caramel sauce for the sugar and unsalted dry roasted peanuts for the almonds.
Before you start: Salt is called for in the mixing step but never appears in the ingredient list; about 1/2 teaspoon suits this batch size.
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups raw almonds, chopped coarse
- 2 cups raisins or other dried fruit, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in oil.
- Fold in oats and almonds until thoroughly coated.
- Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread across the sheet into a thin, even layer about 3/8 inch thick. Using a stiff metal spatula, compress the oat mixture until very compact.
- Bake until lightly browned, 40-45 minutes.
- Remove granola from oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
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