Applesauce Granola

I'm a repeat offender. Late yesterday afternoon I got a hankering for granola, so I trudged to Whole Foods for the thirteenth time this week and picked up a few random ingredients. I ended up in the kitchen at 8PM wearing my cupcake slippers and yoga pants while carefully watching a mixture of simmering agave and vanilla. Then I drank a cup of hot lemon water and went to bed. I swear I'm a 21 year old college student.


Fruity applesauce granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup oat bran
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup chopped dates
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Tiny pinch of salt

- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup agave
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 vanilla bean, split & seeds removed

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300.
- Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small sauce pan, bring wet ingredients to a simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until completely combined and clumpy.
- Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to avoid burning. You'll know it's done when the house smells like apple cinnamon and the granola is golden. Store in an airtight container upwards to a month.




I love this granola because of how clumpy it is. I don't know about you, but I love when I get a big hunk of granola to chew on instead of a bunch of loose oats. I also love that it's pretty low fat, with the only added fat being from the tablespoon of oil. Despite that, it's still crunchy and has a lovely tart apple taste that is perfect for the season.

I soaked some overnight in almond milk to make this mornings breakfast: muesli. Most people just soak oats, but soaking granola adds more flavor and a bit more texture. It was a heavenly breakfast.


My muesli recipe (for one) includes:
- 1/3 cup granola soaked in 1/3 cup almond milk overnight

Then, in the morning, stir in
- 1/2 apple, finely chopped or grated
- 1 small banana, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp slivered almonds
- 1 tsp honey

Enjoy.