Blueberry Almond Granola

spreadnjoy's Note:

My kid's school asked that the parents send a snack in for the kids to munch during the day while they do their schoolwork since lunch is so late in the day. I found this tastey treat in a magazine from Penzey's (btw- if your not familiar with them CHECK THEM OUT!!) This is a great little snack for what I needed it for- and I can imagine a hundred ways to tweak it and use it! Add some cinnamon to the honey mixture and use dried diced apples instead of berries to make a harvest granola, or use sweetened dried coconut, dried diced pineapple and some cherry flavored dried cranberries to make a Hawiian granola. YUM!!! What a wonderfully sneaky way to get more fiber into your kid's diet!

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 6.0 cups

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup oat bran
• ¼ cup ground flax seeds
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• 1 cup almonds , raw (I use sliced)
• ½ teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ cup dried blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine oats, oat bran, ground flax, wheat germ, almonds and salt. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan bring honey, brown sugar, vanilla, canola oil, and water just to a bubble over low heat.
4. pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture, using a spatula to scrape out every last drop- and toss until the oats are evenly moistened.
5. Spread the oats into 2 ungreased 9x13 casserole dishes, and bake at 300 for 20 min, stirring twice.
6. Cool completely- add blueberries.
7. Can be stored in a sealed container for up to two weeks. Granola will keep longer in the freezer.

Reviews

[Chef #1292643]

I just finished making a batch of this from the catalog. We didn't have oat bran so I used wheat. I had the same thought, it was good, but might be even better with some cinnamon or almond extract or... I haven't made much granola in the past but thought this one seemed a little lower in fat and sugar, and think it will be enjoyed by the whole family!