Warm spices like cinnamon and ginger make these oats taste festive, and it’s so easy to make a huge batch, stash it in the freezer and pack it into jars to give as gifts throughout the season. Use red and orange fruits like dried cranberries and apricots for a jewel-like appearance.
Makes 12 cups
INGREDIENTS:
7 cups large-flake oats
2 cups raw almonds or walnut halves
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1⁄2 cup whole flax seeds
1 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
3⁄4 – 1 tsp salt
1⁄4 or 1⁄2 tsp allspice, cardamom or ginger
1 cup canola oil
3⁄4 cup liquid honey
1 1⁄2 cups raisins or any dried fruit, chopped if large
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking pans with parchment paper.
- Stir the oats with the almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon, salt and allspice, cardamom or ginger in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the canola oil with the honey, then pour it over the oat mixture. Stir until all the oat flakes are coated.
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared pans and spread it into a thin, even layer. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, giving it a really good stir every 10 or 15 minutes, and switching and rotating the pans on the racks at least once. The granola should be golden and toasty, but not too dark brown. Keep a close eye on it during the last 10 minutes, as it can over-toast quickly.
- Let it cool on the baking sheets, then stir in the raisins or dried fruit. Transfer to large freezer bags and press out any air. Keep frozen for up to 2 months.
