Cooking

Next time if it's instant, just lie to me and call it something else. Lol

Crunchy Pecan Granola

• 8 oz of rolled old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 oz raw hulled pecans
• 4 oz honey
• 1 1/2 oz, brown sugar
• 1 oz unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 oz dried cranberries and blueberries

• Preheat oven to 350f.
• in a large bowl mix all the oats and pecans
• spread out on a baking sheet
• toast for 15 min stirring every 5 min
• remove from oven and lower temp to 300f
• in a small pot over low heat mix honey, brown sugar, butter, salt and vanilla over until it's all liquid
• combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix completely
• Spread it evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• bake for 15 min
• remove from heat
• let cool to room temp and they will firm up
• It will all be stck together. Brake it up and store in an air tight container. It normally keeps for a week or more depending on humidity.

I have been looking around at options for Granola that aren't high in sugar and more nutrient dense.

I see dried blueberries in the stores but they are always coated in sugar. I buy the organic frozen from Costco.

Here’s the recipe my mom makes: (GPT reworded the instructions because copyright reasons)

Homemade Granola

Servings: 30 (2 Tbsp each)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups quinoa flakes (or gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats)
• ½ cup sliced raw almonds
• ½ cup chopped raw walnuts
• ½ cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
• ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin organic coconut oil
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa flakes, almonds, walnuts, coconut, apricots, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir maple syrup, coconut oil, and applesauce constantly for 4 to 5 minutes until the oil has melted. Remove from heat.
5. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated.
6. Spread the mixture evenly in a thin layer on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the granola is light golden brown and crisp.
8. Let granola cool completely (it will crisp up more as it cools).
9. Store in an airtight container.

Variations

Substitute ½ cup of walnuts or almonds with:

• Cashews
• Toasted pecans
• Pine nuts

Serving Suggestion

Serve ¾ cup reduced-fat (2%) yogurt topped with:

• 2 Tbsp granola
• ½ cup mixed berries