Apricot Almond Granola

Imagine reaching into a bag of granola and pulling out a chunk of a dried apricot with oats and almonds baked all around it, making a yummy, fruity, whole grain cluster. This Apricot Almond Granola is a simple and delicious homemade granola I made to share with my mom, my mother-in-law, and myself over Christmas. The ingredients are simple and I promise the results do not disappoint!

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
• a few grates of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon honey or agave
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil

1. Combine the oats, almonds, apricots and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in all of the liquids until all the oats are evenly coated.
2. Spread out the granola on a lined baking sheet (I use a silicone cookie sheet liner I have, but you can also use parchment paper or foil).
3. Bake granola in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes. Take the granola out and turn it, then bake an additional 10 minutes. *You want to make sure you remove the granola after a total time of 25-30 minutes, because the granola will continue to harden after you remove it from the oven.

The orange juice makes a great liquid substitute for extra fats and honey that would normally be found in other granola varieties, plus it carries a soft punch of citrus flavor throughout the granola. However, I do admit that if you are a fan of super crunchy, hard granola, you won’t like this lower fat and sugar approach! Because of the juice, the granola is a bit softer than “normal”.

Many other variations could be made based on this recipe! Here are some ideas below (just make sure all the dried fruit you use is unsweetened! You may be surprised to see how many added sugars are included in dried fruits).

• Pina Colada Granola (pineapple juice and dried unsweetened coconut – I can’t have macadamia nuts, but it seems like they would go well with this combo instead of almonds).
• Pomegranate Cherry Granola (pomegranate juice and dried unsweetened cherries)
• “Grape Nut” Granola (grape juice and raisins, with whatever nut desired)
• Many more!

You can also add a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed to any granola combination for some bonus healthy fats.