The BEST Homemade Granola

So we were feeling domestic yesterday evening and after dinner had a hankering for something sweet.  Since we're trying to make better food choices, we haven't been keeping sweets in the house.  We did have some honey flavored Greek yogurt (which is amazing), so we decided on that for dessert.  It seemed a little blah, though, so in order to spice things up a bit, we thought granola would make an awfully nice addition on top of our delicious yogurt.

The search began.  Most recipes had way too many ingredients and some used butter or oil, two things that, while tasty and good in moderation, didn't exactly contribute to the goal of a lighter snack.  SO - we turned to FoodNetwork.com and found this.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  Since it was a last minute decision, I just used what I had in the fridge and pantry.  Without pecans, and with very few almonds left, I used mostly walnuts with the few remaining almonds thrown in for good measure.  I also added a little wheat germ and flax seed to give it a little umph.  We also realized that our raisins were over a year expired (don't judge), so we left those out as well.

Even though we made some slight adjustments, we were not disappointed with the end result.  This granola is fantastic, and comparatively light.  It was amazing on our yogurt last night, and I ate a serving with milk for breakfast this morning.  I would not be surprised if we quit eating cereal in the mornings and use this as a tasty and healthy alternative.

If you enjoy granola at all, you should definitely give this recipe a try.  I think you'll love it.  Enjoy!

Nutty Granola

2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

Image courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Yield: 9 (1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins, optional


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and the raisins, if using. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Disclaimer:  Again, this recipe is not my own.  It is from FoodNetwork.com.  Here's the official link.  I don't want to take credit for someone else's hard work.