Probably the Best Granola Recipe...Ever!

Hello There!  I hope that my greeting sounded as friendly to you as it did to me because today, I am happy.  I have been without sweets for 7 days and I'm feeling pretty dang fabulous about it!  I know, I know, 7 days is not that long for most people.  But hey, 7 hours without sweets is a huge accomplishment for me!  I've also refrained from most other junk food/fast food and I'm back to exercising.  Go me!

 

I have been trying to find meals and snacks to eat that will fill me up and keep me satisfied for more than 10 minutes.  Well, ladies and gents, I want to share one of my favorites with you.  My husband found this granola recipe a few months ago and it quickly became a favorite in our home.  This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated with one minor change in it. 



 

Cook's Illustrated Granola

Just look at that picture, doesn't it look delicious?  Is your mouth watering yet?  Yes?  Good.  This granola is so simple to make and it makes ALOT so you won't have to worry about getting enough before your husband or kids get to it ;)

The Best Granola Ever!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
4 tsps vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups hand chopped raw almonds
2 cups dried fruit (we use dried cranberries or cherries)
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

*The original recipe calls for 5 cups rolled oats and no pumpkin seeds, but I find it better by substituting 1 cup oats for 1 cup pumpkin seeds, they are a great source of iron.

Instructions:
Oven at 325, line a full sized rimmed baking sheet w/parchment and adjust the rack to upper middle.

1. Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in bowl
2. Whisk in oil
3. Fold in oats and almonds until coated
4. Place all ingredients onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, level it off, make a nice rectangle, pat it down hard to compress (should be about 3/8th of an inch thick).
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotate half way through baking.
6. Once cooled, break granola "bark" into pieces as large as you'd like. 

Servings/Calories:
This recipe makes roughly 11 cups of granola and there are 225 calories/half cup.  I know, that seems like too many calories for such a small serving, but that's about normal for granola.  And trust me, 1/2 cup with some milk or Greek yogurt really fills you up! Plus, it gives you plenty of energy.

Try it out, I bet you will love it too!

xoxo, Whit