Apple Spice Granola

There is nothing like the smell of something sweet with a little spice baking in the oven in the fall or winter.  Granola is no exception!  Making your own at home is easy, and it keeps well.  Today I am sharing a version that includes a mixture of apples and heart healthy nuts.  This is gluten free, vegan, and much lower in sugar than commercial granolas.  It makes a wonderful snack or breakfast and kids love it! Try it as a delicious topper for a smoothie! You can buy dried apples at Fresh and Natural Foods, or if you would like to make your own, you can slice them thinly and dry them in a dehydrator for 24 hours at 115°F.  Or, you can bake them on parchment lined baking trays at 200°F for one hour, then flip them over and continue to dry for another hour.  Store dried apples in the fridge in an airtight container.

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

Twitter Facebook

Servings: 14 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Ready in: 45 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 6 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 2 cups raw pecans
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill large flake coconut
• 3/4 cup Dr. Bronner's coconut oil, warmed to liquid
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups dried apples, chopped
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with non-stick foil, and spray with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 and set rack at the medium position. In a large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and coconut, and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together oil, syrup, maple sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and sea salt, until well combined, then pour over oat mixture and toss to coat until completely blended. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet, and spread out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes or so until the granola is evenly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir in dried fruits and enjoy!