Homemade Granola ~~ Get-Out-of-Town Good!!

I am a granola bar junkie, but the commercial kind are not so great for us, so what's a girl to do? Yep make your own. I have actually made several different kinds and I'm always in the market for a new one to try, but this one is one of my fav's ~~ so give it a try. Go on don't be scared :0)

It's YUMMMY!!!



2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup oat bran or wheat germ
½ cup honey or agave nectar
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and oat bran onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.

Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

These are so yummmmy!! My hubby loves to take these in his lunch. So go on give them a try!!