Vanilla Almond Butter Granola

I don't know why it's taken me so long to try and make my own granola. Maybe it's because I'm seriously addicted to Purely Elizabeth and never could have imagined making anything even remotely as delicious.

However, I spent all weekend going through cookbooks looking for some new dish inspiration. And what I ended up seeing over and over were recipes for granola. So I decided to turn down the corner of a few pages that made my mouth water and used them as a base for my own creation.

My granola prerequisites:

Crunchy

Chunky

Full of nuts

Sweet, but not too sweet

Enjoy!

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VANILLA ALMOND BUTTER GRANOLA

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Makes 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups oats

1 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I used almonds and pecans)

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/4 unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

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

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, mixed nuts, hemp hearts, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and salt. 

3. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Once heated, whisk in maple syrup, vanilla, and almond butter.

4. Pour oil mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine, coating evenly. Spoon mixture onto sheet, smoothing out into a single layer. 

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir granola. Continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until oats look golden.

6. Remove from oven and let cool, about 1 hour. Sprinkle in chocolate chips, if using.

WWTip: You can use any nut butter you want in this recipe. I just happened to have a freshly made jar of almond butter waiting for me. Peanut, pecan, or cashew would be delicious! And if you have a nut allergy, try sunflower seed butter.