I’ve always loved granola, never learned how to make it, being content with the generic oats, almond, and honey versions.   When my go-to brand, Aunt Hilda’s, disappeared, I was left trying out the various processed brands available, none of which were particularly enjoyable.  One Christmas, my late sister-in-law, Leslie, had a little bag of granola with her gift basket that had the taste and texture quite like Aunt Hilda’s.  She gave me the recipe (rather casually explained what was in it and how long to bake it).  I made my first batch pretty much her version.  The only consistent ingredients are rolled oats and sliced almonds.  Everything else can vary according to taste and availability.  Ratios can vary, too, but basically, it’s about 2 parts oats and 1 part mix-ins.  Since granola to me is an oatmeal cookie as cereal, I had to try it with coconut, lots of coconut.

As a final adjustment, after finding out how much sugar is in granola, I substituted agave syrup for the honey and brown sugar sweetening in the original recipe.  For the same reason, I stopped mixing in craisins at the end.

Anyway, this is dedicated to Leslie:

Coconut Almond Granola Recipe