Hello all, and happy Friday! Happy Memorial Day weekend, too, to all of my American friends. 🙂

So last weekend I was searching for a good, healthy granola recipe. I found quite a few, but decided to combine them and add a few twists of my own. The result? Perfection! Eating this stuff is like eating cookies, according to my mom, and I have to agree with her. As an added bonus, it is free from some of the most popular allergies, including nuts and gluten, which are often found in store-bought granola. Plus, a serving is a 1/2 cup, so you’re not stuck with a tiny portion like you are with many other store-bought or homemade granolas. Other than just straight out of the container, my favorite way of eating it is on top of Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of dried fruit.

The Best Granola (E, N, D, GF)
makes about 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
– 2 cups oats
– 1/2 cup puffed rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
– 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
– 1 tbsp. whole flaxseed
– 1/4 all-natural sweetener, such as Stevia
– 1/2 tsp. table salt (add more or less to taste)
– 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
– 2 heaping tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
– 1/8 cup honey
– 1/8 cup agave nectar
– 2 1/2 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (if you are tolerant, use any nut butter)
– 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (oats through cinnamon). Set aside.
   
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine applesauce, honey, agave nectar, and sunflower seed butter. Microwave on high for about 60 seconds. Whisk them together, then stir in vanilla extract.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry in batches (start with about 1/3 of the wet mixture, stir, add another 1/3, etc.). As noted on the original recipe, it does not look like there is enough moisture – don’t worry, just keep stirring!
5. Scoop the mixture onto the baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point. Allow to cool completely before storing.
   
6. Enjoy! 🙂
   

Notes:
– The original recipe calls for chia seeds. We didn’t have any, so I just used whole flax seeds, instead.
– If you don’t have agave nectar, just use all honey. I was just experimenting when I used the agave!
– You could add dried fruit into the mix before you bake it; I’m not in favor of doing this, though, as I find it completely takes out any moisture left in the fruit and leaves it tacky and tough.

Nutrition:

I really hope you all try this recipe – it’s a keeper to be sure! As I mentioned in this post, it’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever made/eaten!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!