Granola

Hungry for more? This recipe was featured in a podcast episode!

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A good granola recipe - one that clumps just right, with the perfect balance of sweet and salty - seems to be tough to come by. This one passes the test!

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hr

Yield: makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 2 cup mixed raw nuts

• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (sweetened will be fine if that's what you've got)

• 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

• 1/4 cup hemp seeds

• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• non-stick cooking spray

• 1 1/2 cup dried fruit (we like cranberries, raisins, blueberries, or chopped apricots)

Directions

1. Cook your quinoa according to package directions and let cool (see note below)

2. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

3. Toss the nuts, coconut, quinoa, and seeds together on the baking sheet.

4. In a small saucepan over medium, heat maple syrup with coconut oil. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin spice and salt. Pour over the mixture on the baking pan and toss well to fully combine. Spread out evenly.

5. Bake for 30-40 min, stirring once or twice throughout, until golden brown. Remove and let cool for 5 min.

6. Spray the bottom of a measuring cup with non-stick spray. Use it to press the granola flat into the pan. Allow the granola to cool for about 1 hr.

7. Break up the granola into chunks and toss in the dried fruit. You can store in an airtight container at room temp for a month but trust us, it won't last that long.

Zhuzh it up!

• Plan ahead! Having your quinoa cooked and cooled in advance will save time. Cooked quinoa will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for up to 2 months.

• No spice mix? Make your own! For one batch of granola mix together: 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Make it in bigger batches and have it on hand for future pumpkin spice recipes.

• How about chocolate? Tossing in some mini dark chocolate chips after everything is cooled would also be really yummy!

This granola recipe is adapted from the Maple-Roasted Pumpkin Spice Granola from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook (Tieghan Gerard).