Fruit and Nut Granola

Ever since I made the Sprouted Kitchen's Pumpkin Spice Granola, I've been looking for more yummy granola recipes. I went back to the Sprouted Kitchen site and found a recipe for a Cherry Nut Granola. I made a few small changes to fit my pantry, but it's another great hit. This granola does clump together as nicely as the pumpkin spice granola, but it's just as tasty. It can be eaten as your morning cereal, as a snack on its own, or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. And you can adjust the nuts and fruit to fit what you like best.

And if you haven't checked out the Sprouted Kitchen website yet, you're missing out. She has recipes to fit every palate, every taste and most food styles (vegan, gluten-free, etc.). And while you're over there, check out her cookbook, The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. It's one of my favorite cookbooks I own.

Fruit and Nut Granola (inspired by the Sprouted Kitchen Cherry Nut Granola)
Ingredients:
3 Cups Quick Oats
3 tbsp. Flax Seeds
3 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
3/4 Cup Raw Pecans
3/4 cup Raw Slivered Almonds
2 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Apple Butter (you could use applesauce here)
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Real Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Dried Fruit (I used golden raisins and dried cranberries)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a saucepan, on low heat, melt the brown sugar, apple butter, honey, olive oil and vanilla. Cook for a couple minutes so the flavors come together and the sugar breaks down.

3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts and seeds. Slowly add the wet mixture on the oat mix and stir until all oats are covered.

4. Spread the granola in an even layer on a baking pan. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir. Repeat twice for a total of 45 minutes cooking time; be sure to stir every 15 minutes.

5. Pull out the granola and fold in the dried fruit. Allow the granola to cool completely before putting it in a container.