I love granola and Peter needed a good gluten-free snack.  I came up with this recipe using several others as inspiration.  It’s delicious and although you can substitute many of the ingredients, my favorite mix has coconut, vanilla and pineapple in it.  It’s super easy to pick your favorite flavors and make it yours.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned oatmeal)
• 1 cup sliced almonds, or walnuts, or pine nuts, or sunflower seeds (or a combination)
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup oat germ*
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
• Pinch of allspice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter**
• 2/3 cup honey OR maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut together on a cookie sheet (the ones with little walls) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring several times, until lightly browned.
3. Place the oat germ, the cinnamon, cardamom and allspice on a pan and carefully toast it (make sure it doesn’t burn).
4. When the oatmeal mixture is ready, transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the oat germ and spice mixture.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
6. Put the butter or oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit and stir well.
7. Butter the cookie sheet and/or if you want put some buttered parchment paper or tinfoil in it. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Be careful not to bake it too long because the raisins will burn and taste bitter!! Cool well and brake into chunks. Serve at room temperature.  You can also break it into smaller bits and serve with milk.

NOTES:

* I just pulse it in a food processor or coffee grinder a little bit. You can use ground flaxseed or brown rice germ, even cornmeal.
** You can replace it by vegetable oil or other butter substitute
*** You can replace any dried fruit for any other, like dates, prunes, cranberries, dried cherries
**** When I make a double batch and mix 1/2 honey and 1/2 maple syrup