Homemade Granola

Yum

Is Granola Cereal healthy for you?

Short answer ~ it depends.  It’s a type of cereal that consists of whole grains, nuts and fruits.  Each granola recipe that you come across on the internet can vary in the amount of sugar, fat, calories, etc. it has in it however effecting the overall health benefits.

Store bought granola, for instance, depends (again) on the recipe.  According to Foodfacts, Bob Mills Original Granola Cereal only got a grade of C- due to the controversial ingredient, Natural Flavor.

Sunbelt Lowfat Granola Cereal got an F due to the HFCS.  Poke around Food Facts website if you have a chance.  I think you’ll be surprised.  I love how they highlight the ingredients between good, controversial and avoid categories.

A breakfast consisting of this granola and some whole milk organic yogurt is a great start to the day.  It’s loaded with protein and whole grains.  Whole grains and nuts also contain fiber.  And the fiber in oats is soluble fiber which is very helpful for controlling and lowering cholesterol levels.

It’s also a good source of healthy fats, which are found in the nuts and seeds.

And can I tell you?  ….. your house will smell UH~mazing while this is cooking!  It takes about 10 minutes to pull all together and a little over an hour to slowly bake until it’s nice and crispy.   I use organic honey and organic REAL maple syrup as my sweeteners.  There are no other added sugars or oils added.

You can change this up to your liking.  Experiment with it.  I currently use almonds, pecans and walnuts.  But if you don’t care for one of them, just omit it or double up on something else.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups OLD FASHIONED rolled oats
• 1 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, preferably UNSWEETENED if you can find it
• 6 Tbsp organic unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup organic honey
• 1/4 cup organic syrup (I use Maple Grove from VT)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat
3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a very large bowl, including the spices
4. Heat the butter, honey and maple syrup in a saucepan until melted. Take off the heat and add the vanilla
5. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well
6. Spread the granola onto the baking sheets and bake for 75 minutes
7. While cooling, sprinkle the dried fruit on top (if desired)
8. Cool completely before storing

Recipe Adapted from:  100DaysofRealFood
I used all organic ingredients when available, and hope you do too!  🙂

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Baking Sheets	Silpat	a HUGE bowl	Parchment Paper