To me, every batch of granola that I make is like a snowflake, unique in its balance of oats, seeds, nuts, and fruit, depending on what I have in my pantry. But the basic formula stays the same, and once you master it, you too can make snowflake granola!

Snowflake Granola

In a large bowl, combine:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
¾ cup rice krispy cereal
¼ cup sunflower seed kernels
2 tbsp ground flax seed
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

In a glass measuring cup, stir together ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup canola oil, and 2 tbsp honey. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. If it doesn’t look like it has been covered well enough, feel free to add another tablespoon or so of oil or honey.

Spread the granola on a lined, rimmed baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper) and bake in a 250⁰ oven for about 1 hour, or until the granola is golden brown. If you like a granola with lots of clusters, don’t stir the granola at all while it’s baking and cooling. If not, feel free to stir every 15 minutes or so.

When the granola is completely cool, add in a few handfuls of raisins, craisins, or any other dried fruit you would like. Store in an airtight container, and serve with yogurt, milk, or fruit.

NOTES:

My recipe here is wheat-free and nut-free, but you can easily substitute wheat germ for flax seed, pecans for coconut, ect, as long as the total bulk of the dry ingredients stays roughly the same. In the same way, you can use all olive oil or all canola oil as you wish, substitute in different spices or leave them out altogether, or even use more or less of the sweeteners. Remember, it’s okay for every batch to be different!