Homemade Granola

Most mornings for breakfast my kiddos eat sausage or bacon and some fried eggs. I like to fill their little bellies up with protein before they leave for the day to terrorize their precious, wonderful (and severely underpaid) teachers. But some days they luck out with homemade granola. I make a giant batch of this and it’s always gone in 48 hours. But that’s fine with me. It’s made with just a few ingredients and can be customized with whatever seeds and nuts you happen to have on hand. I pretty much always use walnuts and occasionally dress it up with some pumpkin seeds. Generally speaking though, this recipe is the perfect level of sweet and salty. I love that when you break it up you’re left with these big crunchy granola chunks (that - sorry - your kids will definitely be fighting over). It is delicious with fresh berries and great served in a parfait.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA
Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
½ cup avocado oil or olive oil
½ cup pure maple syrup, separated
1 t sea salt
1 t vanilla extract
1 t cinnamon
½-1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 250.
2.) Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, reserving 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to use at the end.
3.) Press the granola onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Use the back of a spatula to really press the granola down- this is what will create yummy clumps.
Check after 45 minutes and cook for an additional 15 minutes if necessary.
Remove the granola from the oven and drizzle over the remaining maple syrup. Allow the granola to cool, and break apart with your hands and store in a glass jar. Enjoy!