Crunchy Granola

Once you try homemade granola, you will never want to buy it again! Trust me.

I was spending $5.00 for a 2 cup bag of granola at a health food store. Completely fed up with this ridiculous price, I had to make my own…

The end result: sweet, salty, crunchy, healthy, simple, quick, and CHEAP granola!

Why didn’t I do this sooner?!

When making your own, you can control how much sugar is added. Also, you can change the ingredients (dried fruit, seeds, nuts, spices) depending on your taste or mood.

I love this granola with a little bit of non-fat vanilla yogurt. I usually add a drizzle of honey to the yogurt first! It is also good with a splash of cold milk. Or take it on the go for healthy snacking.

Recipe for Crunchy Homemade Granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped
• 1/2 cup banana chips, chopped

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, add the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, salt, and spices. Pour in the maple syrup and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring twice during that period. Remove from the oven, add in the dried pineapple and banana chips, stir to combine. Let cool on a cooling rack until at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 6 cups