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BAKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
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Pour the oats and cinnamon into a nonstick baking pan.
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Mix the cinnamon into the oats.
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Next, pour oil and honey into a 1-cup measuring cup, followed by the vanilla.
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(By pouring the olive oil in first, the honey slides right out of the cup, rather than clinging to the glass sides.)
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Pour the liquid ingredients into the pan with the oats and mix well.
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Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
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Be sure to stir the granola at the sides of the pan, so it doesnt burn.
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Once the 30 minutes are up, I usually give it one last stir, turn off the oven, and put the granola back in the oven to cool overnight.
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It doesnt need to cool that long, but I find leaving it in the oven gives it a little extra baking time and helps it dry out so its ready to eat by morning.
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If you have a well insulated oven, Id probably let the granola cool on the counter so it doesnt burn, but our oven is pretty old and cools off quickly.
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Or you can eat it while it is still warm, just be sure you let it cool before storing in an airtight container.
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Baking this in the oven produces a crisper granola, as well as several sweet clusters.
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When the granola cools, it will be stuck together, but will easily break apart when you put it into your airtight container.
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My family prefers granola baked in the oven, but I also sometimes make it in the crock pot.
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CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS: Alternatively you can cook this granola in the crock pot.
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Pour all the ingredients into your crock pot, set it on low, and cook for 3-5 hours, stirring every hour.
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When using the crock pot method, be sure to keep the lid cracked a bit.
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I usually stick my silicone spatula in the crock pot to keep the lid cracked.
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After about 3 hours, taste it to see if the granola is done to your liking.
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It will be soft and moist in the crock pot, but once it cools, it crisps up a bit.
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I find if I make a whole batch, it takes closer to 5 hours, but if I halve the recipe, it only takes about 3 hours.
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ADD-INS: If you prefer nuts, dried fruit or coconut in your granola, you can either replace some of the oats with your add-ins before cooking, or add them individually at the time of serving.
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If you have picky eaters in your household, this is a nice basic recipe that is easily adjustable.
