15-Minute Tropical Granola

I decided to make some tropical granola the other day. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to come up with something tropical. There's like fifty different kinds of dried fruit at the grocery store and there's at least three called just "tropical". Plus granola usually always has some kind of nuts and macadamia nuts are totally tropical, too. Then there's the issue of coconut in granola. All in all I'm pretty smitten. My special granola tastes just like tropical granola without tasting at all like artificial pina colada flavoring or some such. And it's definitely a welcome switch up on vanilla Chobani yogurt if that's what you normally eat. And summer's coming? Shut.Up. :)

Tropical Granola
Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
2 tbl light brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
3 tbl canola oil
1 cup dried tropical fruit medley
1/3 cup shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the oats, macadamias, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, honey, and canola oil. Mix until thoroughly combined and the oats are completely coated. Spread in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Toss the granola, it will feel slightly wet when you take it out of the oven. It will harden as it cools. When the granola is cool enough to handle toss it with the dried fruit and coconut. Continue to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

SOURCE
Sarah Cupcake original