Perfect Granola

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups Old Fashion Oatmeal

5 cups of rolled mixed oats (I used Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats, I ran out of Old Fashion Oats, and I had to dig into my other stash of oatmeal)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 tbsp of chia seeds

1 tbsp of ground flax

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp. of ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

4 tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tbsp agave nectar or Maple Syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp applesauce, unsweetened

3 tbsp peanut butter

1/4 cup un packed brown sugar

Add Ins:

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 dried apricots (diced up)

1/4 dried pineapple (diced up) (My favorite)

Note: Nuts can be used to, slivered almonds are great in this recipe! Thats whats cool about granola, you can use any kind of dried fruits and nuts you like.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the wet ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a very large mixing bowl, Mix together the dry ingredients.

Add the wet mixture (while still warm!) over the top of the dry mixture and stir well. It will be very thick and hard to stir, but keep at it until everything is thoroughly combined.

Spread onto a pan lined with parchment paper or a non-stick mat and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven every 15 minutes and give the granola a good stir to ensure even baking.

Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes on the pan before serving. The granola will get harder as it cools.

Enjoy!!

Makes 20 – 1/2 cup servings

Calories per serving: 165, Fat: 4.3, Sodium: 16.9, Potassium: 52, Carbs: 28, Fiber: 4, Sugar: 9, Protein: 4.6