I have never been a big granola person.
I mean don't get me wrong, I love it when I do have it like in certain cereals that have "clusters" as part of their ingredients. Of course those "clusters" are usually laden in artificial ingredients and are way sweeter than they probably should be. I also was kind of afraid of granola to be honest. I know it's one of those things that can be very addicting and is never low calorie. I didn't really want the temptation around in some big bag. But I bought some whole oatmeal by accident over quick cook and didn't like the texture for my morning oatmeal. So I had 3 cups of it just sitting in a mason jar and I had no plans for it...until now.
After we purchased Fitness Blender's Fat Burning Round 2 Program, I was perusing the site and saw some of Kelli's recipes and decided to adapt her granola recipe to our personal preference.
DIY Granola
(adapted from Fitness Blender)
Here's what you'll need:
3 cups oatmeal (I used whole, not quick cook)
1/4 cup coconut oil (organic)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 tsp Watkins double vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, add all ingredients except coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
Measure the coconut oil and melt it to liquid form.
Add the real maple syrup and vanilla extract to the oil.
Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to coat.
Spread mixture onto ungreased cookie sheet.
You will cook for a total of 12-14 minutes, but take it out every four minutes or so to turn the mixture over and spread it back out to bake evenly.
When it's done and let cool.
In order to keep this manageable, it makes twelve just over 1/4 cup servings. If you have self control, grab your measuring cup and munch after a workout, add to yogurt or whatever you like.
If you're like me and don't trust yourself, measure each serving into a snack bag and when it's done, it's done.
I put ours into the old oats jar and now they're ready to grab when we want them without the fear of overindulging!
This won't be an every day thing for us but will be a nice alternative to add in from time to time. It was perfect after our workout for day 2 of the program in which my legs were jello and I knew I'd need sustenance in order to stand to make dinner. Just sweet enough but not too sweet and exactly what I needed at that time! So thumbs up from us!
Obviously you can mix and match to your tastes too so have fun with it!
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I like granola, but for me it's one of those things that I have little self control with. Like trail mix. It's basically healthy, so I can have all I want right? The last time I bought some I scarfed like half of it in two days, and then the rest sat in my cupboard and went stale All or nothing - so I just don't buy it anymore. This recipe sounds good though, maybe I'll give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteI know, I feared the same thing. It did come in handy today when I needed to up my calories a bit but not the sodium. It was the perfect amount!
DeleteThis is so good that I'm glad you put it in snack baggies cause it could get carried away real quick!
ReplyDeleteI know! We could eat it by the handful if I didn't pre-bag them!
DeleteWhat a great idea to put it into snack baggies! I love quick preps like that, that are good on the go.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd like to start the new year by telling you I continue to love your blog, I appreciate how frequently you post. I was really inspired by you & your Mr's kayak & paddle board experiences. After I looked at the paddle board prices, I'd kind of put it out of my mind for the moment, but was surprised over the holidays with one!! My Mr. got it for me, and I was so surprised. I'm going to re-read your paddle board posts as much as I can before going out and trying to get the hang of it!!
Thank you so much Lea! You made me teary! You also made the Mr and I very happy with your Christmas present! I know it can be an investment but having the ability to get out there and reconnect with nature is a wonderful thing. This post is probably the most helpful for paddling: http://successalongtheweigh.blogspot.com/2015/06/always-learning.html
DeleteAlso search YouTube! That's what we did and people's tips really helped!
This is really similar to the granola recipe I make to put in my plain greek yogurt for breakfast/treat. I use to use the whole 1/4 cup but cut it in half and it still tastes wonderful. I will try this version with the next batch - the pumpkin pie spice sounds yummy! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIf I liked yogurt I would totally put it on there for some good texture! (How I envy yogurt lovers!)
DeleteLuckily the changes I made put it in a decent calorie range for me to go ahead with it. When it goes over 200 for stuff like this (very normal, especially with boxed kind) I get a little iffy. Hope you like it!