Homemade Chia Granola

I love granola.  I really love granola.  My girls have become granola lovers too.  They like it on fresh fruit, yogurt, ice cream, pancakes and simply by itself.  Good store-bought granola is pricey and goes really fast in our house.  I love this recipe because it’s so easy and you can toss in which ever dried fruit or nuts you have in the pantry and it always tastes good.  The girls love to help me make this recipe.  They stir the ingredients in deliberate circles, press it on to the pan with their sweet little fingers and lick them afterwards with joy.  PS. It’s healthy too, chia seeds are full of omega-3 and fiber!

Chia Granola

Ingredients:

3 tbsp pure Maple Syrup

1 cup unsweetened Applesauce

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

2 tsp pure Vanilla

3 cups uncooked Oats (I use Gluten Free)

1/2 cup Cashews (substitute sunflower seeds for a nut-free version)

2 tbsp Chia Seeds

3/4 cup unsweetened Coconut (shredded)

1 cup dried Cranberries and/ or dried Cherries

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (this makes clean up a breeze).  In large glass bowl add maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla.  Microwave for 35-40 seconds on high (or you can warm in a pan on the stove – 3-5 minutes on medium high heat).  Whisk until they are well blended and all of the coconut oil has melted into the mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir until well combined.  Spread the granola out on the baking sheets, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil, stir the granola around and bake for another 5-10 minutes.  Allow to cool then enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (I promise you, it will be gobbled up long before).