Homemade Maple Nut Granola – Crispy, Crunchy, Crumbly and Cheap!

This short and not-too-sweet granola video recipe is a sort of test run for another video I'm going to be shooting for About.com when I'm in New York City this week (details tomorrow). Granola is amazingly simple to make, and significantly cheaper than those "gourmet" varieties sold at the local health food store.

Besides rolled oats and some type of sweetener, there really are no rules for granola. Here I've added a nice trio of crunch and texture with almonds, pumpkin seeds (that I call sunflower seeds in the video for some reason!), and coconut.

Dried fruit is also a common ingredient, with raisins being the most common, but you know me, and my love (borderline fetish) for currants, so I used those. This recipe is also very light in regards to the sugar. Some granola recipes are closer to candy than cereal, and call for making heavy syrups with which to soak the dry ingredients.I prefer a looser, crumbly, barely-sweet granola, but if you do want yours a bit sticker, simply double the maple syrup called for below. Also, as I mention in the video, if you don't already have a silicon baking mat, making this recipe would be the perfect excuse to get one -- they are so incredibly useful, you won't regret it.

This type of granola makes a great cereal, and I would think you parents out there could turn this into a fun project to make with the kids. The fresh fruit and yogurt parfait you see at the end of the clip is perfect for kids of all ages, and really makes a great breakfast or snack. And yes, I did steal the idea from McDonald's. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (this can easily be doubled)

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut