🥄Crunchy Fiber-full Natural Granola

Gluten-free and vegan options too

⬆️⬆️ The Recipe Story lets you in on where this granola has traveled with us recently, plus kitchen and nutrition tips for you. Listen in.

You will want to start making this Plain Jane granola way before I did. It became a staple on our shelf after making it once. It’s delicious! And has enough variability in how you make it and how you can eat it, to keep you going back for more.

Crunchy Fiber-full Natural Granola

Good For You

• whole grains

• prebiotics

• soluble and insoluble fiber

• protein source

• healthy fats

• lower sugar

• lower salt

Good For

• breakfast with milk

• with greek yogurt and fruit

• dry, as a snack (it is hard to resist when it’s cooling)

• traveling

Crunchy Fiber-full Natural Granola

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old-fashioned or steel-cut oats

• 1/4 cup oat bran or wheat bran

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds

• 1/8 cup chia seeds

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, or other nuts or seeds

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1/8 cup liquid honey

• 1/8 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 egg white (see kitchen tip below)

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or other dried fruit

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.

• In a your mixer bowl with paddle attachment or large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients.

• In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients.

• Pour liquid ingredients over dry and mix thorougly.

• Set aside dried cranberries.

• Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Pour granola onto baking sheet and spread into a thin layer.

• Bake for 10 minutes; stir. Bake for 10-15 minutes more or until granola is light brown. It will become crisp as it cools.

• Once cool, mix in the dried cranberries.

• Store in an airtight container. It will last 3 weeks or more.

Nutrition Tips:

• Choose ground flax rather than whole flax seeds so you can digest and absorb the healthy omega-3 fats.

• Looking for more soluble fiber? Choose oat bran. Looking for more insoluble fiber? Choose wheat bran.

• Prebiotics are food for your healthy gut bacteria. This granola has plenty!

• There is much less sugar in this granola than processed varieties. Less than 1 teaspoon per 1/4 cup serving. Much less salt too.

• A little goes a long way - this granola has all the filling ingredients - fiber, healthy fats and protein. It keeps you full longer than refined cereals.

Kitchen Tips:

• This recipe easily doubles if your family goes through it quickly.

• You can use 1/4 cup of either honey or maple syrup instead of 1/8 cup of each.

• You can omit the egg white to make it vegan. It just adds to the crunch.

• Choose gluten-free oats and oat bran to make this recipe gluten-free.

• This makes a beautiful gift in a jar or pretty bag.

What’s cooking up some memories around your table?

Pull up a chair to the Contented Table Community Chat to join the conversation. Or leave a comment below. Your food memory can encourage another.

Bring a friend, there’s always room for one more.

Jane