Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes
Making homemade granola is simple and lets you control the sugar and fat content - and your child can help.
What you'll need
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups puffed-grain Kashi cereal or other puffed cereal of choice
- 1 1/2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
Notes:
Yield: 4 1/2 cups
How to make it
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a baking pan or line it with a silicone baking mat. Have your helper stir together the oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined well. Stir in puffed cereal, rolled oats, and almonds (if using) until coated (feel free to sample any ingredients that escape from the bowl).
- Hold the bowl sideways so your helper can scrape the cereal mixture with a spatula into the baking pan, spreading it evenly. Bake, stirring mixture every 10 minutes (to prevent pieces on edge of sheet from burning), until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
- During the second stirring, add the cranberries (they'll only cook the remaining 5 minutes). Cool granola in the baking pan, about 25 minutes, and store in an airtight container. Keeps at room temperature 2 weeks.
