Cherry Walnut Granola

I am straight up addicted to granola! I eat it for breakfast almost every day with Greek yogurt, milk or berries. Usually a batch of granola lasts me around two weeks, but recently the Hubby has started getting into my stash, so I find myself making granola pretty much every weekend.

Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to do this. Plus, this is the first time I've seen the Hubby actually eat breakfast in the more than 10 years we have been together. 
I started making some of my past recipes like Crunchy Nut Granola or Pumpkin Granola (which I totally need to revisit and re-photograph)! However, he likes his granola a bit sweeter, so I took the basic principals, measurements and cooking instructions, then just changed the ingredients a bit to include more maple syrup (my favorite Fall sweetener) and dried sweet cherries.

After making the first batch, the house smelled so good that we decided to have a late afternoon granola snack! The Hubby approves and continues to eat breakfast. YAY for jump starting your metabolism and eating healthy. Which reminds me, I need to go make more granola now...

Cherry Walnut Granola

Yields: 6 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

4 tablespoons Grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 cup old fashioned oats (use gluten free if needed)
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1 cup raw pepitas/pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the Grapeseed oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup and applesauce until well blended. Stir in the oats, walnuts and pepitas.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with oil or butter. Spread the granola mixture on the baking sheet.

Bake at 325F for around 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Let sit to room temp and stir in the cherries.

Crunchy Nut Granola

Granola is the best! I used to think it was so healthy until I actually read the ingredients and nutrion label on many store bought brands. I was amazed at how much sugar and random ingredients were in the granola. Since sugar is a trigger for my flare ups and I like to eat granola, we set out to make our own! Granola is not as hard as it looks to make. I featured a pumpkin granola during my Pumpkin Recipe Roundup in October last year.

Personally, I could eat pumpkin granola every day, but Ryan likes a bit of variety outside pumpkin season and most people aren't as obsessed with pumpkin as I am. So we set out to create a basic granola recipe that was versatile enough for everyone! 

When I say "basic granola recipe," I mean that the measurements and cooking temperature and time won't change, but the ingredients are easily substituted based on your tastes.

Nuts and Seeds

As long as you have 2 cups of nuts and seeds total, this will be a good ratio to the oats. I like to start with raw seeds and nuts because they contain more nutrients and toasting myself adds a nice flavor and aroma to the granola (not to mention makes your house smell amazing)! There are a variety of nuts and seeds to add in, and I usually change the mixture every time I make this. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have very reasonably priced raw nuts and seeds. Here are some suggestions:

• almonds
• hazelnuts
• cashews
• walnuts
• pistachios
• pecans
• pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• sunflower seeds
• flax seed
• chia seeds (added at the end after cooking)

Sweetener

I don't like a very sweet granola, so the basic recipe is not sweet. However, honey or agave nectar can easily be added to the applesauce mixture for more sweetness. Start with 2-3 tablespoons and increase from there. Sweetened applesauce can also be used instead of unsweetened, just make sure to use organic so you aren't adding in any unnatural sweeteners. 

If molasses is not a desired taste, this can be substituted with brown sugar, honey or agave nectar. We like the earthy flavor of molasses in this granola though.

Last Minute Additions

After the granola cooks, I usually like to add in some different textures like dried fruit, chocolate or coconut flakes. For dried fruit, I like to use a combination of tart cherries and currants, however, I have added dried cranberries, apples, raisins and apricots in the past. All have been delicious!

Coconut is another addition that can easily be left off. This is one of the most fought over ingredients in our kitchen. Ryan despises the taste of coconut and can even taste coconut oil in my cooking. I tend to add in the coconut last so that I can make half the recipe without it for him.Chocolate chips or chunks could easily be added to this recipe as well to sweeten up the mix.

Even though we have perfected this gluten-free granola, our next kitchen experiment is a grain-free granola! Enjoy and let me know what your favorite flavor combinations are!

Crunchy Nut Granola

Makes: 8 cups
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes + 25 minutes

5 T olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 c molasses

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 c old fashioned oats (use gluten free if available)

2 c raw nuts and seeds (mixture of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cashews)

1 c dried fruit (cranberries, currants, cherries, apples)

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

1/4 c honey (optional)

In a large saute pan, toast the nuts and seeds until fragrant and lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them (they will burn fast)! This took about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Once the nut/seed mixture is cooled, roughly chop them in a food processor or by hand.

In a large bowl, mix the (honey if using) oil, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, molasses, applesauce, vanilla extract and almond extract until well combined. Stir in the oats and the chopped nuts and seeds. The granola will be slightly moist, this is good.

Evenly layer the mixed granola onto the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. When stirring, there should be steam that escapes, this is good and helps make the granola crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Stir in the coconut flakes and dried fruit and store in an air tight container for up to one month.

Pumpkin Recipe Roundup: Pumpkin Almond Granola

It's time for another installment of my October series: Pumpkin Recipe Roundup. For week 2, I have decided to share my pumpkin granola recipe. I eat granola almost every day with Greek yogurt for breakfast. I started making my own granola recently to control the amount of sugar and to make gluten free. I followed a recipe the first time I made granola and was amazed at how easy it is. After messing with ingredients, measurements and cooking times/lengths, I have created, what I believe is a foolproof recipe that the hubby enjoys too!

I usually double the recipe since we eat a lot of granola in our house. It will keep in an air tight container (recommend a glass jar instead of Tupperware) in the pantry for about 3-4 weeks. This recipe is VERY versitle, so play around with ingredients that you like to make the perfect personalized granola. The pumpkin flavors are great for this lovely Fall season we are having! Num, num, breakfast is served :)

Pumpkin Almond Granola

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen
Yields: 6 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats (can use gluten free oats)
2 cups mixture of raw walnuts, almonds, flax seed and/or pepitas
1 cup mixture of dried figs, cranberries and currants (can use any dried fruit here)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large walled baking sheet (or two if doubling) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with olive oil (or use a paper towel dipped in olive oil to rub the surface). This helps the granola from sticking while cooking.

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, toast the nuts and seeds (except flax seed) until fragrant and lightly browned. Stir these often while toasting and watch carefully as they will burn very quickly. Once toasted, set this aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, spices, maple syrup and pumpkin puree until well blended. Stir in the oats, toasted nuts and seeds and mix well to combine. The mixture will be very moist, this is OK.

Lay the granola out on the prepared baking sheet (or two) and spreed out evenly. Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes or until the granola is a nice golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes to let steam escape. Steam will rise from the granola when you stir - this is a good thing and helps make the granola crispy! Remove from the oven and stir in the dried fruit right away. Let cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container in the pantry for up to 3-4 weeks. For a chewier granola, cook closer to 20-25 minutes. For a crispier granola texture, cook for 30-35 minutes. I like crispy!