I feel the need to get one thing off my chest. Here goes. Really good granola, you know, the kind that has an amazing, crispy texture and those delicious nuggets where the oats and nuts fuse together with the baked goodness to form bits that you want to eat right out of the bag or box? The kind that is chock-full of fruits and nuts and is sort of like trail mix, only minus the chocolate, for breakfast?

No matter what the hippies tell you, that stuff is not really healthy per se, and unless you are Michael Phleps, Lance Armstrong, or someone training for a long distance race of any sort, you should probably not eat a big bowl of it everyday.

With that said, I think granola is outstanding in moderation. I like mine to be as much about the fruits and nuts as it is about the oats and clusters, and it’s my personal opinion that coconut really takes granola to the next level. There’s lots of healthful things in this granola – dried fruit, nuts, oats, and plenty of fiber.

The thing that makes it more of a once-in-a-while and/or in extreme moderation food is the oil and (in this case) butter that it’s baked in to make everything crispy. This homemade granola is soooo much better than the stuff you buy in a store, and with all those fancy brands out there tempting us, it’s more economical too. Making it for yourself removes it from the category of ordinary and everyday and makes it as special as a baked good, without all the hassle or mess. 

You can get really creative with the combinations of dried fruits and nuts you use, just be sure not to bake the dried fruits in the oven – just add them later on. In hindsight, I’d probably add the coconut (coated in some of the honey/oil/butter mixture) later – I found that it burnt a bit in the oven, although it still was very tasty.

Be sure to store in an airtight container, to ensure freshness for over a week.

Homemade Granola
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries 
• 1 cup dried figs, quartered with stems removed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup good honey
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (salted)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut and pecans together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil, honey, and melted butter over the oat mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add all of the dried friuts. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.