Granola Alternative

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One of my favorite snacks to eat during the day is a nice bowl of vanilla yogurt with cottage cheese, granola and fresh strawberries. For quite a while now I was using a brand of granola that I thought was "Organic" granola, until reading Michael Pollen's, "Food Rules" and learning that what may be packaged as organic may not necessarily be organic. Then again, anything that has to be packaged to begin with should have you questioning its health benefits.

Either way, in my attempt to rid myself of processed, packaged and refined foods I was scanning through the net and came across a really great granola alternative to that found in the grocery store. It's a recipe that comes from Kathy Nichols over at the Healthy Habits Coach Blog. Her recipe uses mostly natural ingredients, is super-duper healthy, and taste amazing.

I altered the recipe a bit, by replacing canola oil with olive oil, using less almonds and agave nectar and opting not to use apple-sauce and sesame seeds. I suggest you experiment with the recipe a bit to match your taste.

Here's the recipe for you:

Healthy Homemade Granola

Dry Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats (you can also use a combination of rolled grains)
2-3 cups of raw almonds or pecan halves (or other nuts)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)
¾ cup sesame seeds
½ cup wheat germ or ground flax seed.
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
Options: ½ – 1 cup unsweetened coconut,
½ cup dried fruit (add after cooked) –date pieces, cranberries, cherries, apricots, mango

Wet Ingredients:
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup agave nectar (or brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup)
Note: see new posting questioning agave.
2 Tbsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together, and then stir into dry ingredients. Stir well to mix thoroughly.

Spread the mixture into two baking dishes. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even browning. Stir again when removed from oven to keep it from cooling into a solid mass. The granola will crisp as it cools. If you use fruit, stir once it is cooled.

Store in the refrigerator in a large zip lock bag or other airtight container. Makes about 10 cups.