Granola

Makes: About 8 cups

Time: 45 minutes

Not only does homemade granola taste better, but you can also use the best-quality ingredients and adjust them exactly as you like. Add more nuts, leave out the fruit, or vary the spices—anything goes. This keeps well in the fridge and indefinitely in the freezer.

• 6 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup hulled raw seeds, like sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, or flax
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle the mixture with the honey or syrup and the oil; toss to combine thoroughly. Taste and add more sweetener if you like.

2. Spread the mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure the granola is toasting evenly. The browner it gets without burning, the crunchier it will be.

3. Remove the pan from the oven and add the raisins. Cool on a rack. The pan will still be quite hot, so stir the granola once in a while until it cools to keep it from burning in spots. Transfer to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator; it will stay fresh for a couple months.

COCONUT GRANOLA Use melted coconut oil in place of the olive oil and 1½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut in place of the raisins.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GRANOLA Dessertlike without being junky: Use 2 cups hazelnuts for the nuts and omit the cinnamon. Toss ½ cup cocoa powder with the oats and bake as directed. Roughly chop 4 ounces dark chocolate and add it in place of the raisins when the granola has cooled completely.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA The protein in egg whites forms crunchy clusters: Beat 2 egg whites until frothy and stir them into the granola mixture before baking.

CHERRY CASHEW GRANOLA Omit the seeds and use 2 cups coarsely chopped cashews. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with the honey and oil. Reduce the cinnamon to ½ teaspoon. Use dried cherries for the fruit.

BUCKWHEAT MOLASSES GRANOLA These two warmer, heartier flavors complement each other: Use buckwheat groats in place of the oats and use ½ cup molasses as the sweetener. Add 1 teaspoon ginger along with the cinnamon. Omit the raisins or replace them with chopped pitted Medjool dates.

QUINOA GRANOLA A little extra crunch: Rinse 1 cup uncooked quinoa and add it along with the oats; decrease the oats to 5 cups.

MUESLI This hearty cereal isn’t cooked; serve it cold or warm, with milk, juice, or yogurt, right away or soaked overnight: Use brown sugar as sweetener and omit the oil. Do not bake.