This granola recipe was one of my first original recipes that I ever put together.

Why I like it:
– Less sugar than store bought granola
– Uses natural maple syrup as the sweetener
– Can pick and choose what nut and seed combos you use
– It tastes really good (can I say that about my own granola?!)

In all honesty – it is so easy to make.  I usually have all ingredients on hand or something close and can whip this up quickly.

Base – will always stay the same, 3 1/2 cups of oatmeal.

Wet ingredients – if you choose to use honey instead of maple syrup, that works well and will make the granola a bit stickier.

Nuts – I like 1 cup total so play around with your favorites.
Almonds: calcium, zinc, vitamin E, and magnesium
Cashews: vitamin E, K, and B6
Pistachios: potassium, vitamin K and B6, copper, and manganese
Walnuts:  selenium, vitamin B6, phosphorous, and omega 3 & 6
Pecans:  vitamin A, B, E, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and zinc
Hazelnuts:  selenium, copper, vitamin B, and biotin
Macadamia:  vitamin E, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folates
Brazil nuts:  huge amount of selenium

Seeds – I like 1/2 cup total.  Pick and choose what sounds good to you or make it a combo
Pumpkin:  promote better sleep and have anti-microbial properties
Hemp:  high in protein, omega 3’s, and contain all 20 amino acids
Sunflower: lower cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, and a great source of magnesium

It stores well in an air tight container in the pantry for up to 3 weeks but good luck keeping it that long, this one goes quick in our house!