Clean Eating Almond Granola

One of my favorite snacks is yogurt topped with granola.  It's difficult to find store-bought granola that A) fits my budget and B) doesn't have a list of 92 ingredients.  Fortunately, granola is one of those homemade foods that is super cost effective!  I buy our oats in a 25 pound bag at a local bulk store about once every other month.  We eat a lot of oats for breakfast, in our granola bars, and of course, for granola!  If you're looking for a tasty, frugal, and clean granola recipe, give this one a shot!

Almond Granola

Ingredients:

6 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup honey

4 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tsp almond extract

My little helpers love helping prepare food for our family!

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 F.  Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.

2.  In a large bowl, mix almonds and oats.

3.  In a smaller bowl, mix applesauce, honey, cinnamon, and almond extract (I love this brand).

4.  Pour liquid mixture over oats.  Stir until well coated.

5.  Pour granola onto the prepared baking sheet.

6.  Bake in the oven in 10 minute increments.  Stir every 10 minutes to avoid burning.  The granola will take somewhere around 50 minutes-1 hour to get toasty.  Granola is done when it feels dry and is a golden brown in color.  It should not be wet or super soft anymore. It will also harden a little bit more as it rests! 

7.  As you near the end and begin noticing your granola getting crisp, stir more often (I check every 5 minutes) because it can burn the granola!

8.  Pull out of the oven and allow to cool before enjoying.
9.  Store in an airtight container!

Enjoy on yogurt, as a cereal, or a snack!

Recipe adapted from The Gracious Pantry