{Recipe} – Almond, Coconut and Apricot Granola

My pantry is filled with large size mason jars, I buy them in 12 packs at Target. I have slowly replaced our plastic storage containers with the glass mason jars to store our grains, beans, nuts and homemade granola I bake and stock up on the weekend.

I have been making granola in big batches recently, half of them for me to keep and to stock up for when the baby comes and the rest I’ve given as gifts. I also love seeing them stored in the mason jars and see my pantry filled with all different choices of granola. I just love a pantry filled with healthy snacks, don’t you?

The granola haven’t lasted that long in our house, so I have more baking to do. I hope I can bake and store several containers before the baby arrives so I can make quick breakfast bowls with greek yogurt, fruits and the granola as toppings. I know my hands are going to be full and I won’t have time to stand on the stove and make fresh bowl of oatmeal everyday. I’m being realistic here and trying to plan ahead for life with a newborn.

This granola recipe is similar to the one I made last Fall. I love the base of this recipe, with the use of rolled oats and puffed brown rice cereal. I know how addicting granola can be and these are low fat, light and crispy, so I usually eat a few handfuls when the snack cravings hit me in the afternoon while I’m at my desk at work.

Almond, Coconut and Apricot Granola

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup plain applesauce
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract or coconut extract

up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts ( used half whole almonds and half sunflower seeds)
up to 1 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used chopped dried apricots and shredded coconuts)

– Preheat the oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller sheets) with parchment paper.
– In a large bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together spices, salt, sugar, applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), maple syrup and extracts. Whisk until very smooth.
– Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or large spoon until mixture is evenly coated. Spread on prepared baking sheet(s) in an even layer.
– Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over the granola carefully using a large wide spatula. Sprinkle the nuts and shredded coconuts onto the granola, then bake everything for additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center might not be fully dried – if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola to a cooling rack and let the rest cook for another 10-15 minutes until done.
– Add dried apricots after you take the pan out of the oven. Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.
– Break granola up as desired and store in an airtight container.

Here’s how I package the granola when I’m giving them as gifts.

I use mason jars or recycled jam container, wrap the top with burlap and tie it securely with twine.  I also found on Pinterest some free labels for the “sweet treats” labels.

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Have a great and relaxing weekend!

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