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Mix-n-Match Applesauce Granola

(recipe, Katie Hickey)

Introduction

This is great with some of my favorite combinations: cashew and banana; pistachio, lemon and cranberry, cherry almond coconut, peanut banana chocolate- the list goes on...

Ingredients

  1. 3½ cups rolled oats
  2. 2 cups puffed rice cereal
  3. 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  4. 1 tsp. ground ginger
  5. pinch ground cardamom
  6. ¾ tsp. salt
  7. ¾ cup brown sugar
  8. ¾ cup plain applesauce
  9. ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
  10. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  11. up to 1 cup chopped nuts
  12. up to 1 cup dried fruit
  13. Handful of flax seeds

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller sheets) with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal, spices and nuts. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), maple syrup and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients along with chopped nuts and stir to combine. Spread on prepared baking sheet(s) in an even layer.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over the granola carefully using a large wide spatula, and bake for additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center might not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola to a cooling rack and let the rest cook for another 10-15 minutes until done.
  4. Cool on pan or on a wire rack.
  5. Break granola up as desired and stir in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.