Chock-full Granola

A simple, cinnamon-y , crunchy, go-to granola that has [count 'em!] 7+ different grains, nuts and seeds. Add a few different fruits on top and your belly will be happy! A variety of plants in your diet cultivates good gut bacteria- why not have as many as you can at breakfast? If you don't have all of the ingredients at home, you can easily substitute for whatever you do have.

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Chock-full Granola

[8 cups / 6 servings]

Ingredients

4 c. oats

1 c. cereal*

½ c. buckwheat groats

½ c. slivered almonds

½ c. walnut pieces

½ c. hemp seeds

½ c. pumpkin seeds

1 c. dried fruit**

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

¾ c. vegan butter, coconut oil, or canola oil

¾ c. brown sugar or maple syrup

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

*You don’t have to use cereal here- you can use an additional cup of oats. However, I like to use the remains of a bag of cereal, all the little bits of crumbly pieces- it adds great flavor and reduces food waste. Personal fave: Oatmeal Squares.

**If you don’t like fruit in your granola, just opt for more nuts and seeds here (pecans, flax, chia, etc.), if you do like fruit, currants, cranberries, blueberries or raisins work well.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment (or spray lightly with oil).

2. In a large mixing bowl add: oats, cereal, buckwheat groats, almonds, walnuts, hemp, pumpkin seeds, fruit and cinnamon.

3. In a small saucepan on low, or in the microwave, melt vegan butter/warm oil. Mix in brown sugar/maple syrup and vanilla until sugar has dissolved and fully mixed.

4. Pour oil and sugar mixture over dry mixture and stir to combine. You can’t over stir here- make sure the mixture is completely moistened (you shouldn’t see any “dry” bits).

5. Spread granola mix evenly on pan, and bake for 12 minutes.

6. Stir the granola and rotate the pan, and bake for 12-16 more minutes until granola is just starting to brown. Granola will still be soft, it hardens as it cools.

7. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking apart, about 30-45 minutes.

8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

Var så god!