This easy homemade granola is the best! Sweetened with maple syrup (or honey), mixed with almonds and dried fruit, it's chunky and perfect for breakfast.
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in the vegetable oil to combine. Add the oats and almonds and fold the mixture together with a rubber spatula until all of the oats and almonds are thoroughly coated.
Turn the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Using a stiff metal spatula, compress the oat mixture until very compact.
Bake until the top is lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break the cooled granola into pieces as large or as small as you like. Stir in the dried cranberries and dried apricots. The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats are not recommended; they have too fine a texture for this recipe.
Almonds: I like the texture of chopped whole almonds the best, but you can substitute an equal amount of sliced or slivered almonds.
Nuts and/or Seeds: You can mix and match pepitas, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, or peanuts. You can also add flax seeds or chia seeds.
Oil/Fat: You can substitute coconut oil or butter for the vegetable oil if you prefer, though some note that the granola doesn't clump quite as well with coconut oil, but it will still work!
Sweeteners: You can swap in honey for the brown sugar. This granola is not exceptionally sweet, but if you prefer a less sweet version or one with less sugar in general, you can reduce the amounts by as much as half.
Nut Butters: You can swap out half of the oil and add in 1 cup of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunbutter.
Spices: Cinnamon (about ½ teaspoon) would work really well in this recipe if you want to add a hint of warm spice. You can also use pumpkin pie spice or ground ginger (use ½ as much).
Extracts: I find vanilla absolutely perfect to balance the flavors, but you could substitute any other extract you'd like for flavor variations. If it's something particularly strong like almond extract, I would recommend only using half as much.
Dried Fruit: Dried cherries, apples, blueberries, pineapple, mango, raisins, or currants would all be wonderful additions, as would banana chips!
More Mix-Ins: Shredded coconut, unsweetened coconut flakes (sprinkle on top halfway through baking), or chocolate chips (milk, semisweet, dark, or white - stir in after baking once cool) all work well.
For Extra Clumpy Granola: Press down as much as possible on the granola before baking, do not touch while baking, and cool completely.
Serving Suggestions: Plain on its own, with yogurt, in a yogurt parfait, served with milk or soaked in milk like muesli.
Freezing: The granola can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.