Healthy, Simple, and Absolutely Delicious Granola

This granola is extremely delicious and when eating it you won't feel guilty because it is also quite a healthy snack. I would recommend pairing it with some plain greek yogurt, which in my opinion makes a really good combination. I have been making this granola for a long time and sharing it with others around me who said it tasted awesome so I have decided to share the recipe here on Instructables. It's super simple and does not require much skill to prepare, though at times you need to act quickly so as not to burn the granola, so I would recommend measuring and preparing your ingredients before beginning the recipe. It is quite straightforward, and I hope you like it! Please share with me any questions or critics about this recipe. I would love to have some feedback to improve my future Instructables. Have fun and good luck!

Supplies

Ingredients:

- Olive Oil

- 2 cups rolled oats

-1/2 cup almonds

- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds

- 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

- 1/2 cup honey

- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 cup cranberries

You don't have to use all of these ingredients and you can replace some of them with others that you might prefer or you could add other ingredients. I would just keep the honey, vanilla extract, and salt. They are quite essential. Raisins work really well in place of cranberries, or you can use both. You can also replace almonds with raw, shelled pumpkin seeds. Just experiment with what you like best and to accommodate allergies. Be creative with the ingredients you add, there's so many delicious options and combinations to try.

Tools:

- A large frying pan that will fit all of your ingredients

- Something to stir with

- Measuring spoons

- Measuring cup(s)

- A small bowl

Step 1:

Heat your pan above medium to low heat and then add some olive oil. Wait a moment for the olive oil to heat up and then add the quinoa. Cook the quinoa, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. The quinoa needs to be cooked for a while by itself because otherwise it will end up too hard in your granola. Add the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds. You can choose whether you would like your almonds to be whole or crushed, it doesn't really make a difference in the recipe, I prefer to leave them whole. Keep stirring frequently for about ten minutes or until your granola is slightly golden in color.

Step 2:

While your granola is becoming golden, combine the honey, vanilla extract, and salt in your small bowl and microwave the mixture for 30 seconds to loosen. I would only do this if your honey is really crystallized, because when you microwave it, you remove some of the good properties of the honey that make it so good for you. However, if it is too crystallized it will be very hard to mix it into the granola and I would follow this step, otherwise, just combine the above ingredients. Before adding this mixture to the granola, add your coconut to the pan and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring frequently so as not to burn the coconut. Then add the honey mixture to the granola and cook until it has been absorbed and the mixture has turned a shade darker.

Step 3:

Turn off the stove and mix in the cranberries or raisins. Leave the granola to cool, and then enjoy it or put it in a jar to save for later. This recipe makes a lot of granola so you can just keep it in a jar and eat it whenever you feel like it. It will last for some time, depending on the amount of people eating it. If you like, you can make granola bars instead by spreading an even layer of your granola on to a parchment-lined baking sheet and letting it cool and solidify for 20 min. The honey mixture causes it to stick together and as soon as it has cooled down you can cut it into rectangles and enjoy!