This is the best friggin' granola this side of the country. I didn't add the oil because I didn't want my granola tasting like olives but this recipe still spanked. Also, don't make granola, set your timer (esp. for 1h and 35 mins!)and then go kick the can for a while unless you want to come back and find your kitchen engulfed in flames. Watch it carefully and stir it up every 5 to 8 minutes. Otherwise, happy toasting.

UPDATE: I've made this many times now and always omit the brown sugar and it's sweet enough for me; I omit the raisins too. 11/03/06: I've been making my own granola for years, but decided to try this on the recommendation of a friend. This is a wonderful granola! I used light brown sugar, canola oil, real Canadian maple syrup, 1c kosher coconut (it's natural, unsweetened, & tastes closer to fresh), & in addition to the slivered almonds, I added a cup of whole almonds. Love almonds! Sometimes also used golden raisins; they seem to be softer, stay fresh longer. Thanks so much, Jennifer, for sharing your recipe!

Very good granola! My mom made some for Xmas this pasy year (different recipe)and put them in decorated jars and gave as gifts! The jars leftover, she gave to me, which I used for breakfast (with a little milk...hmmm good). Having run out and wanting more, I found this recipe. I used less coconut and in addition to the REAL maple syrup, I added a couple TBLS of honey. I also assume that the submitted had intended for almonds to be in the ingrediant list so I just added 1/4c almonds, and then another 1/3c of a halved pecan/walnut mix. Like another reviewer before me - to ensure that this doesn't burn, stir every 8-10 minutes!! When I pulled out of the oven, I added raisins, crasins, and some dried pineapple. GREAT granola! Very versatile to add what nuts and fruits you want and we are very pleased with the result! Mom = this recipe is almost as good as yours!! Thanks Jennifer for posting!

If I could give this 10 stars I would. I used milled flax seed instead of wheat germ, sliced almonds, and after reading What a Dish's review--a 7 oz can of coconut and 4 T of brown sugar, and I used her idea to put into 2 pans in the oven. I will add some whole almonds next time per LadyJayPee's suggestion. I used regular pancake syrup (sorry! didn't have the "real stuff") and a spoonful of cane syrup (like a mild molasses). I left mine in the oven a little too long, because it wasn't getting crisp, before I realized that it crisps up AFTER you take it out of the oven. It is delicious and different than any cereal I've ever had, and I can't stop nibbling on it!

i have made this a couple times now and absolutly love it! have made it the recipe way then have made it with my own variations. I have added dried cherries, crasins, pumpkin seeds, soy nuts, and almost any kind of nut thought of. I have used honey instead of the maple syrup. I have put some vanilla and cinnamon in the liquid mixture and heated it along with brown sugar on the stove top and then poured over all the oats and things. Smells absolutly delightful! This is a very versitle recipe and I love it! Thank you for giving me something to run with!

I heard a lot about this granola, and I must say it lived up to the hype! After reading all the helpful reviews I made a couple of changes to my batch. I used freshly ground flax seed instead of wheat germ, cut the coconut down to a 7 oz. package, and left out the brown sugar totally. The brown sugar would have made it cotton candy sweet, in my opinion. I followed What A Dish's lead and used two baking sheets and, to avoid the burning issue, I nested them on top of an empty sheet before putting them in the oven. I finished it off with dried cranberries instead of raisins. This granola is not as oily as some, and I think that is what puts it in the "granola hall of fame". Thank you, Jennifer (and reviewers), for a recipe my entire family loves.

This recipe turned out wonderfully for me, though I am still wondering where the almonds are! We toasted in the oven for 45 minutes then stirred gently and returned to oven for another 25 minutes, so not quite as long as recipe recommended. I used only 1/2 a package of coconut in the mix and after toasting added 1/3 cup dried and sweetened cranberries and 1/3 cup of dried banana slices. My daughter is now addicted to this stuff and we plan to try many variations by adding different dried fruit .... next week is tropical granola with dried pineapple and papaya.

I followed this recipe as written, using dried cherries instead of raisins because I think cherries and almonds are a match made in heaven! - Excellent flavor and very easy to prepare, but only gave 4 stars because there is way too much coconut in this recipe for this self proclaimed coconut lover. To correct this problem, I made a second batch without any coconut at all, and mixed it together with the overly-coconutty batch which saved the day! I do like crunchy clumps in my granola, so I loved the suggestion to squeeze together some small clumps before baking. Be sure to mix this recipe together in a huge bowl (or stock pot). Also, I baked it in a large (14x17), good quality turkey roaster and stirred every 15-20 minutes. Next time I'll cut the coconut in half, and I think I'll try adding a touch of vanilla and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon too (Mmmmmmm I can taste it now).

This is fantastic and so versatile. I used whole raw almonds because I think slivered would just disappear and I love the bigger crunch of whole almonds. I also used craisins instead of raisins as a personal preference though I will most likely omit them altogether in the future since the granola is delicious without them. I and added more wheat germ, and 1/2c. wheat bran for extra fiber and added cinnamon. I also cut back on coconut and agree with other reviews that it was a good change. I made this twice in one week and the second time, I used honey in place of the maple syrup. The taste was very similar and since honey is much less expensive than syrup, I think I will stick to that change in the future. It is good as a cereal and as a plain snack, but it really shines when eaten with yogurt in my opinion.

I used walnuts and dessicated coconut as that is what I had in the pantry and dried apricots instead of raisins. I didn't bother with the wheatgerm as cooking destroys the nutritional value of it.If you wanted to, you could add the raw wheatgerm at serving time.It was tasty and I will make it again. Thanks