Clumpy and Crisp Applesauce Granola

A few months ago I jumped into the granola making world head on. And I fell in love. Granola always seemed far too time consuming and quite honestly, there were endless options out there. Much too confusing to a granola virgin. That is until it occured to me to use the tried and true formula of my good friend Lael, which is quite amazing (check it out here)! That recipe and I have gotten along quite nicely these past several months.

So why have I decided to venture any further? Well, because I love experimenting and I happened to have every ingredient on hand for this recipe.

And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! This recipe has some subtle differences from my dear friends. It is wonderfully clumpy, not too sweet and perfect atop some Greek yogurt with a few banana slices or fresh berries. Honestly, I love how healthy this version is. Though let me say, I did add a pinch of raw sugar for a bit of added sweetness. Either way, it turned out exceptionally well!

The result: this girl now has two fantastic granola recipes to go to!


Clumpy & Crisp Applesauce Granola
recipe from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

6 c large flake oats
1/4 c flax meal
1/2 c wheat germ
1 T cinnamon
large pinch of nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
3 c whole almonds (I substituted for pecans)
1 c unsweetened shredded coconut
3 T olive oil
2 c applesauce
1/3 c honey or agave syrup (increase if you like a sweeter granola)
2 c dried cranberries or raisins or dried apple bits

Preheat oven to 300F. In a large bowl, mix together the first 8 ingredients. Add in the oil, applesauce and honey or agave syrup and mix well using your hands until everything is well coated. Spread mixture between two baking sheets lined with silpat or parchment paper and bake, turning mixture frequently and rotating pans until the mixture is dry and golden. For me, this took about 1 hour or a bit more. Add the dried fruit as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cool and then store in a sealed container.