Homemade Holiday Granola

You want your child to consume healthy snacks, yet you also realize that she only wants food that tastes good. Here's a compromise to add to your recipe collection! Your child will find this granola irresistibly delicious, and you will be delighted with its healthful ingredients: flax meal, agave nectar, coconut oil, almonds, and dried fruit. There's even an added bonus: Cooking up this mouthwatering mixture will give your child extra fraction practice as well. Packed in parchment paper and pretty ribbon, your child will love giving it as a holiday gift to friends and family.

What You Need:

• 9” x 13” baking dish
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 3 cups quick oats
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, heated just until melted
• ½ cup agave nectar
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons flax meal
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• ½ cup Rice Krispies cereal
• ¾ cup dried fruit (suggested: ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup chopped prunes, ¼ cup mixed antioxidant blend fruit – cranberries, blueberries, cherries)
• ¼ cup chocolate morsels
• Spoon
• Parchment paper or plastic bag
• Ribbon

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Help your child spray the baking dish with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, have your child combine all the ingredients and mix well.
4. Ask your child to pour the mixture into the baking dish and press down to flatten with the back of a spoon.
5. Supervise your child as she puts the dish into the preheated oven. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned on top.
6. Allow the granola to cool and then have your child cut it into bars, or break it up to create loose granola.
7. Help your child wrap the granola in parchment paper or plastic bags and tie it with a pretty ribbon.