Heat your oven to 325°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat with the honey and brown sugar, stirring occasionally. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes, and you'll know it's ready when everything's combined and smells sweet. Don't let it bubble too aggressively or the sugars can burn.

Remove the butter mixture from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Give it a good mix so the spices are evenly distributed throughout. The coconut oil goes in here too — it helps everything bind together and keeps the granola recipe crunchy.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Pour the warm butter mixture over the oats and seeds, then stir really well until every single piece is coated. This step takes patience — don't rush it or you'll end up with some dry bits.

Spread the mixture evenly across your prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through (around the 12-minute mark). You'll know it's done when it's golden brown and the kitchen smells like caramelized nuts — that's when you know it's perfect.

Take the baking sheet out and immediately sprinkle the sea salt over the hot granola. I usually give it one more gentle stir at this point to break up any large clumps that might've formed.

Let it cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before stirring in the dried cranberries and apricots. This is important — don't add the fruit too early or it'll stick to everything and get all mushy.

Once completely cooled, transfer your homemade granola recipe to an airtight container where it'll stay crunchy for up to two weeks. I've made mine in batches and stored it in mason jars, which looks cute on the counter too.