Serve granola with milk, milk substitute, or the delicious pourable Swiss yogurt from Schoch Dairy topped with fresh or dried fruit.
INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup of mix-ins: pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, flax seed, puffed brown rice, etc.*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or a combination of butter and vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 300°. Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut, choice of mix-ins, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk almond butter, honey, and butter mixture until combined and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extract. Pour mixture over the oats mixture and stir using a rubber spatula just until oats and nuts are evenly coated and the mixture appears moist.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the mixture and spread the mixture in an even layer again. Bake another 15 – 20 minutes, or until granola is golden brown.
Allow mixture to cool completely in the baking pan without stirring, for about 1 hour. Break up granola into bite-sized small chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
*If you want to add a combination of ‘mix ins’ do not exceed the 1/2 cup total. If you prefer not to use any mix-ins, add an additional 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats.
NOTES:
Dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, or diced apricots are best added when serving to avoid the tendency of these dried fruits to burn while baking.
