Honey Nut Granola

Serves 24 (1/2 cup portions)

45 minutes

This granola is sweet, a bit salty and crunchy. It is just what you need to start your day off on the right foot or give you an energy boost when that mid-afternoon hunger sets in.

Almonds are great sources of protein and contain valuable nutrients like fiber, omega-6 fatty acids and other healthy fats. Walnuts contain nutrients similar to almonds along with large amounts of many different minerals. Pepitas, or pumpkin seeds,  and sunflower seeds are also full of various minerals and healthy fats. These healthy fats help keep you full. Buying all of the nuts unsalted ensures that you know exactly how much salt is going into this recipe. Doing this makes regulating our salt intake possible. It is very easy to switch out ingredients with this recipe. If, for instance, you do not enjoy walnuts, simply replace them with cashews or pecans in the same proportion. A tablespoon or two of chia seeds or flax seeds can also be added and will blend well with the other ingredients.

Honey is fructose based, contrary to what we all know as table sugar, sucrose. Fructose is sweeter than sucrose. Using honey essentially allows us to use less while achieving the same amount of sweetness.

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Honey Nut Granola

A little sweet. A little salty. This granola is the perfect addition to any yogurt, milk, or berry mixutre. 

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Ingredients

• 2 cups slivered almonds, unsalted
• 2 1/2 cups walnuts, unsalted and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds), unsalted
• 1 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
• 1 TB. coconut oil (olive or avocado oil as a sub)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine almonds, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds and chia seeds in a large bowl.

3. Mix in coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and sea salt.

4. Spread the mixture onto baking sheets about 1 layer high. In other words, be sure to not have clumps of granola sitting on top of one another. I ended up using 3 total baking sheets.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes. At the HALFWAY POINT, mix and turnover the granola.

6. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

   
   

7.  Once the granola is baked, return it to the large bowl and toss with the cranberries. Stores well for several weeks in airtight containers.