Warning: This granola is very addictive!!
Did you know most commercial granolas have as much sugar as cookies, you may think you are eating healthy but watch for the sugar content before you buy. Making granola at home is very easy and you get to control the sweeteners and add better quality ingredients. I lightly sweetened this recipe with 3 tablespoons maple syrup for 5 cups of oats and that was enough for us. THe deliciousness comes from all the yummy almonds and almond butter clumped together with crunchy oats.
I went a bit crazy testing this recipe. My son loved this granola cluster from Trader Joe’s which for some reason got discontinued. In a way I’m glad because I got to make a large batch at home, cut out the sugar and lightly sweeten it with maple syrup and he loves it even more.
My goal was to cut back on the unhealthy sugar and recreate those large nutty, cluster-filled granola. Two tips for creating the clusters: You need to grind part of the oats to a fine powder and the other part left whole. This helps with binding.
Secondly let the granola cool completely on the baking pan before you break it apart. I know it’s a lot to ask, but allowing it to cool allows the sugars to harden and you’ll be rewarded with the perfect bite-size clusters to sprinkle on oatmeal, yogurt, parfaits and smoothies, or to enjoy as is as a snack.
Ingredients
- 5 cups gluten free oats preferably ( leave 4 cups whole and grind one cup to a flour like texture)
- 3/4 cup smooth unsweetened almond butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup raw almonds, half roughly chopped
Direction
1. Preheat the oven to 275 ° F (140 ° C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place 1 cup of oats into a food processor and process for about 10 seconds, until a fine meal forms (similar in texture to sand). Transfer the oat flour into a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining oats, cinnamon, raw almonds, salt to the large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla, almond butter to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
6. With a spatula, spread the granola into a ½-inch layer on the prepared baking sheet and gently press down to compact it slightly. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the granola is lightly golden on the bottom and firm to the touch.
7. Cool the granola on the pan for at least 1 hour before breaking it apart into clusters.
8. Store the granola in a glass jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks or freeze it for 4 to 5 weeks.
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