Craving: Sweet – Hippie-Chick Granola

In Recipes by Frances Largeman Roth

Makes 6 cups of granola (12 1/3-cup servings) | Prep TIME: 8 minutes | Cook TIME: 23 minutes

This packed-full-of-goodies granola is wickedly tasty, but has all the goodness you’d expect from your local health food co-op. It’s great as a topper for less tasty cereal, and it’s perfect for adding a bit of crunch to yogurt or ice cream. Pack some up for on-the-go treats in snack-size zip-lock bags.

Momma Must-Have:

Skip the high-fructose corn syrup, tropical oils, and preservatives that you’ll find in many commercial brands of granola. This one gives you 3 g fiber per serving, plus hearthealthy almonds and pumpkin seeds.

  • ½ cup oat bran flakes
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup dried currants or raisins
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup dried tart cherries
  • ¼ cup flax seeds
  • ½ cup honey

Preparation:

1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bran flakes, oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, currants, cranberries, cherries, and flax seeds. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the honey and melted butter, and pour over the oat and fruit mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
  4. Spread mixture onto the prepared pan, and bake for 23 minutes or until golden. Cool on the pan, and break into pieces with a spatula. Store in an airtight container (I like a glass jar) for up to a week.
  • Calories 228; Fat 10 g (Sat 4 g, Mono 1 g, Poly 0 g); Cholesterol 13 mg; Protein 5 g; Carbohydrate 30 g; Sugars 16 g; Fiber 3 g; Iron 1 mg; Sodium 7 mg; Calcium 22 mg; Folate 3 mcg; Beta-Carotene 104 mcg; Potassium 21 mg