Cheryl's Low Fat Granola

Makes a double batch of my low fat, low sugar granola.

Course Breakfast

Calories 360 kcal

Cheryl (Eat What You Sow) Cheryl (Eat What You Sow)

1/2 cup mild flavoured oil
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup honey, agave, or more maple syrup (we use our own ethically raised honey, but sub other sweetener to keep vegan)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup water (to help distribute sweetener and flavourings)
2 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

18 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups wheat germ (or less, or omit, for gluten-free)
1 cup sesame seeds (or less, or omit)
6 cups nuts (chopped - any combination of pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, and/or sunflower seeds)
4 cups dried fruit (any combination of raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, blueberries, cherries, or goji berries)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place wet ingredients in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture is just about to boil.
Stir dry ingredients (except dried fruit) together in a large bowl. Pour warm wet mixture over the dry, and stir well to combine.
At this point, divide the mixture and put half in a large freezer bag. Freeze. Divide the remainder between two large baking sheets (lined with parchment, if desired). Put two oven racks in the middle of your oven, and bake the granola for 30 minutes on convection, stirring halfway through. If you don't have a convection oven, just rotate the pans (top to bottom) at the halfway point.
At the 30 minute mark, sprinkle two cups of dried fruit over the granola (one cup per sheet). Bake for 10 - 12 more minutes. This brief baking period is just enough to dry the fruit slightly (so the granola doesn't get sticky in storage), without burning it.
Remove granola from oven, stir, and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container.
When it comes time to bake the second half, don't forget to add the additional two cups of fruit part way through baking.