Truly Healthy Granola
"Granola is inherently thought of as "health food" but when you flip over the bag and read the nutritional info, it can actually be very high in calories. This is my slimmed-down version. I use sugar-free maple syrup since that's all I keep in the house, but regular maple syrup would work perfectly fine. Sprinkle the finished product on ice cream, fresh fruit or yogurt."
photo by Diet It Up
- Ready In:
- 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 2 1⁄2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons fruit juice concentrate (any flavor will work, I use Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Peach)
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1⁄4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1⁄4 cup dried fruit (I like Sun-maid brand Fruit Bits)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, heat the juice, honey and maple syrup over medium heat until you can stir the mixture easily, but before it starts to boil. About 5 minutes.
- Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir quickly to coat.
- Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the granola is crisp and starts to brown. About 15 minutes. Watch it carefully, or the granola may burn.
- Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and while the granola is still warm, toss in the pecans and dried fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and finish cooling on the baking sheet.
- Store in an airtight container.
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Reviews
-
I love this! Going to search for other recipes too but have been making this for weeks. I do prefer the nuts toasted along with the oats. I add in lots of items. I am up to adding dried papaya & pineapple half way through cooking. I like to add pumpkin seeds, goji berries, cocoa nibs and unsweetened coconut flakes. yum. I dont drink juice so I found the realfruit mango popsicles can be sub for juice concentrate. Enjoy~ -
Delicious....can't stop eating it!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I’m a twenty something, alright, late twenty something woman living on Long Island and working at a publishing company in the ever stressful NYC. Food makes me happy. What’s not to love about a cheeseburger and fries with a huge chocolate shake on the side? Come on, it’s a match made in heaven that would put a smile on even the grumpiest face. Unfortunately, I’ve been battling a pesky weight problem for what feels like an eternity. To make matters worse, I recently found out I have a blood sugar condition that will likely lead to diabetes. Doesn’t that sound like a recipe for disaster? So, I desperately needed to find a way to still love food, but also squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans. The solution, you ask? That’s a little tricky. I don’t believe in surviving off the frozen food aisle’s never-ending supply of frostbitten chemical concoctions. And the thought of eating a strict lettuce and water diet makes me want to throw myself off a building.
So, what’s a gal to do? I learned to Diet-It-Up. I love to cook and I’m always finding ways to take my favorite recipes and shave off a few calories, eliminate some of the processed ingredients and overhaul it in a way that makes it healthier. I’ve mastered every diet under the sun and while Weight Watchers© and The South Beach Diet© can be very successful, they’re tough to stick with when you just want to eat something that tastes good. I don’t have any fancy formal credentials and I’m not going to preach to you about carbs or fat grams. I just want you to enjoy tasty, delicious meals without the next-day calorie guilt. Mix in a jog or two at the gym and you’re on your way to a healthier life. I’m beginning to collect some of my recipes here. I invite you to Diet-It-Up with me. If we’re good all week, maybe we can even sneak in a few sips of that chocolate shake, wink wink.
