Things that are true of most granola on the market:
1.) Not gluten-free
2.) Even if it is gluten-free, it is REALLY expensive and/or doesn't taste very good
3.) Full of sugar and oil
4.) What you get is what you get. Can't customize it.
I made granola a really long time ago and it was so easy and came out so delicious that I don't know why I have waited so long to make it again.... oh yeah, I remember now... every time I buy all of the add-ins (raisins, nuts, etc.), I end up eating them before I can make anything with them... oops!
Anyway, I wanted to make some granola so I didn't have to go spend $10 a pound on bulk gluten-free granola at Greenstar- seriously, $10 a pound!?
I like to use applesauce and maple syrup to add moisture and a little flavor & sweetness to the oats instead of sugar and oil because applesauce and maple syrup are quite a bit healthier (most granola has cups of sugar and oil, yuck). The combination of the maple syrup, applesauce, and cinnamon smelled just like apple crisp when it cooked and made me super hungry for dinner #2 :)
Gluten-free maple apple crisp granola
Ingredients:
3 cups gluten free oats
1/2 heaping cup applesauce
1/4 cup Grade B (dark) maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
******these first 4 ingredients combine to form the base of the granola (oats, applesauce, maple syrup, cinnamon)
******The following ingredients are just what I had on hand, and can be modified however you like. If you don't like coconut, don't add it! If you hate raisins, throw in some cranberries. Seriously, any dried fruit would taste soo good with this granola :)
1 cup coconut
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup cashews
1 cup raisins
1 cup currants
6 dried dates, pitted and chopped
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, cinnamon, applesauce, and maple syrup. Stir until all combined and all of the oats are evenly coated with the cinnamon, applesauce, and maple syrup mixture.
Grease a large cookie sheet with olive oil, and spread out mixture on cookie sheet so it is about 1/2 inch thick. Put in the oven, when you start to smell it cooking, that means you need to start mixing it. Mix it about every 10-15 minutes so that the granola all cooks evenly. It takes about an hour to bake (mine actually took less, but I am not exactly sure how long). You know it is done when you pick up a piece of granola and it feels crunchy in your fingers, and when you taste it, it is crunchy and not soft at all.
Before your granola is completely done cooking (~5-10 mins before), you can add in some of your optional ingredients such as raisins, dried fruit, and nuts. This dries the fruit out a little bit and toasts the nuts so when you store the granola, the oats will not absorb any of the residual moisture left in the fruit. Personally, I like my nuts raw, so I usually won't even put them in the oven.
Once done, take out of the oven and store in an airtight container.
This granola is REALLY tasty with milk like a cereal, or as a topping for yogurt (or even hot oatmeal!)... yummmm! :)
