Recipe: Granola

Babies are needy. Breastfeeding babies breastfeed all the time, or at least it feels like it. And when I’m breastfeeding, I get sick if I don’t eat enough. Energy is going out, so energy needs to go in. When I wake up, my baby needs to eat and I need to eat. I wish I’d done it with my first, but with my second daughter, I started making homemade granola. I tried a couple of recipes and tweaked them a bit. Now I make it once or twice a month and have something I can grab and eat with one hand if my baby needs a big breakfast before I have a chance to sit down and have my own.

The easiest thing to change is what fruit, nuts, or chocolate you add in. I’ve seen other granola recipes that use oil, which sounds kind of yucky to me. Using applesauce as a binder is healthier and sweeter. Here’s my base recipe:

Granola

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine in large bowl:
 4 c. oats (not quick oats)
 1 c. sliced or slivered almonds
 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
 1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk together:
 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. honey

Drizzle wet ingredients over dry and mix until all the oats are moistened. Spread on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn granola over with a spatula and bake for another 8 – 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Cool completely on baking sheet. Break up into pieces and add in dried fruit (I do craisins) and some extra dark chocolate pieces.

Variations: Sub out applesauce for pumpkin puree and/or honey for pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!) for fall flavors. I recently did it with maple syrup and it added a lot of flavor. You could probably add a pinch or two of nutmeg if you’re using pumpkin puree.