Big Weather's Big Recipe: Homemade Granola

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- I've always loved granola. It can get pricey though. Several years my grandma sent me a recipe that was published by a local dairy in Iowa. If you're from Des Moines, you know AE. And their granola was pretty good, but over the years I've put my own spin on it. Let's make some homemade granola!

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of ground flax seed

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup of canola oil (or vegetable)

1/4 cup of honey

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of dried fruit, I use cherries

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300

2. Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, flax seed and salt in a large bowl and mix together

3. In a microwave safe bowl stir in oil, honey and vanilla.

4. Heat liquid in microwave at 80% power for 30 seconds.

5. Stir and pour over dry ingredients and mix together

6. Pour mixture onto a baking tray and place in the oven.

7. Stir every 10 minutes and keep in oven for a total bake time of 40 minutes

8. Remove from oven and let if cool completely before adding dried fruit

9. Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months

That's it and feel free to change it up to your tastes. Don't like walnuts? Used almonds or pecans. Or switch out the dried cherries with raisins, blueberries, or cranberries. You could even throw some M&M's in and make a trail mix. It's so easy and so good and fresh. Enjoy!