Maple Almond Granola

This is the best granola you will ever have. It's filling, slightly sweet, and super crunchy. I can't seem to make it fast enough! I'll bake a batch, think it will last me the week, but it will be gone within a few days because the whole family is chowing down. It's great for breakfast or for a snack and doesn't even need berries because of the delicious addition of dried fruits. Seriously, this is the only granola recipe you will ever need. Don't you dare spend $10 on granola at the store - this is better!

Ingredients
Adapated from Pastry Affair

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1/3 cup chopped, dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, quinoa, almonds, ground flax, chia seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond extract, salt and egg white and stir until everything is combined and well coated. Evenly spread out the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 23-27 minutes, until the edges are golden brown . Do not stir half way! Leave it for the full time to ensure crunchy clusters.

Allow to cool completely. Break up granola into clusters and mix in the dried apricots and cranberries. Store in an air-tight container. I have no idea how long this stays fresh for because ours is all eaten in about three days.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

I am always going through food phases, especially breakfast phases. Sometimes I'll be eating oatmeal every morning, every day, indefinitely. Sometimes I'm really into soft-boiled eggs. Right now I'm into granola, and thankfully it is the easiest thing to make at home. I love to eat mine with almond milk and some berries on top but it's great with yogurt too (obviously, if you didn't know that, get with it)! For this granola recipe I wanted to make use of our delicious Ontario MacIntosh apples, and I also added in some cinnamon to spice things up. Feel free to  change up the flavours with different fruits, nuts, and spices.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup ground flax

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 small apples, chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients until everything is well mixed, and the oats and seeds are moistened. The mixture should clump together slightly, but if it is still looking dry add in a little more oil and/or maple syrup until moistened. Evenly spread the mixture out on your baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring half way to avoid burning. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Note: Feel free to change up the olive oil for coconut oil or the maple syrup for honey! If you're going to add any dried fruits add them after baking so they're still soft.

Pumpkin Cranberry Almond Granola

For the month of November I was on a big granola kick. I found it to be the perfect start to my morning when added to some greek yogurt and fresh fruit, or the perfect pick-me-up snack in the late afternoon. After trying a few store-bought varieties, I decided that it was about time I made my own to ensure it had all the extras and added crunch I was looking for. I loosely followed this recipe for guidance.

Ingredients
2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dash of salt
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 325 F (or a little lower as my oven tends to be a hot one).

In a large bowl add the olive oil, salt, pumpkin pie spice, honey and pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. Stir in the oats and almonds until coated. Evenly spread out mixture onto a nonstick pan (or one lined with parchment paper). Bake the granola for approximately 40 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally to ensure even baking. Store in an airtight container and it should last you for at least a week - assuming you're able to control your munching!