Apple Pie Granola

So now with all that luscious, sweet and spicy Zapple Butter on my hands and apple season fast approaching (the farmer's market was loaded with bushels last week!), I couldn't wait to try out one of the recipes I had pinned eons ago from My Whole Food Life: Apple Cinnamon Granola. I had noted on my pin to use apple butter for more flavour, and since I also had some home-dried apples from last year's picking spree I decided to toss them in at the end for a bit of texture. I didn't add any nuts, fat or refined sugar to this either, which is easy to do if you're making granola at home but almost unheard of in the store-bought varieties! 

What I love about making granola at home is that I can make it über chunky - I hate buying granola where you open the bag and just find glorified toasted oats with sugar and raisins. Granola needs chunks, people! It's also a great way to play with the whole grains in the kitchen. You're not limited to oats for granola - I've used spelt flakes, brown crisp rice cereal, even cooked buckwheat, black rice and millet to make batches. I kept to mostly oats this time, but I tossed in a whack of wheat germ for flavour and a boost of nutrition (B vitamins, potassium, iron and magnesium to name a few!). To sweeten, I broke out my favourite Grade B maple syrup for a rich Fall flavour. It really did taste like apple pie, or at least apple squares - I couldn't wait for it to cool so I could dig right in!

Apple Pie Granola
Makes 7 cups, 14 1/2 cup servings
3 ½ cups thick cut or old fashioned oats
1 ¼ cup raw wheat germ
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
¾ cup unsweetened apple butter (I used “Zapple Butter”)
⅓ cup maple syrup (ideally Grade B)
1 tbsp vanilla
Pinch salt
½ cup diced dried apples (choose unsulphured / no sugar added if not homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat. 
2. In a bowl, toss together the oats, wheat germ and spices. 
3. Add the apple butter, maple syrup, vanilla and salt, stirring well to evenly coat everything.
4. Spread in one even layer on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir to break apart and bake a further 20-25 minutes until well browned and firm. 
6.  Cool 10 minutes then fold in the dried apples and cool completely on the tray.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 166.3
Total Fat: 3.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 104.0 mg
Total Carbs: 31.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.7 g
Protein: 5.7 g 

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