Hello friends!

A little crunch, a little chew, granola makes a great snack.

Store-bought granola has its shortcomings. Most are packed with lots of fat, too sweet, high in calories, and with little nutrition. I wanted to make my own granola that’s easy to make, not-too-sweet, with satisfying clusters, and deliciously healthy.

Every crunchy cluster of this granola is packed with heart-healthy oat goodness. Handfuls of nuts and seeds, adding good for you fats. Lightly sweetened with shredded coconut for vitamins and minerals. All mixed with a secret ingredient, protein-rich egg whites. Egg whites coat each oat grain, making it crunchy and giving a crisp texture. Once baked, you have a low-fat granola “bark” that breaks into crunchy clumps of any size.

Enjoy this granola plain or throw in a handful of your favorite nuts and dried fruit to create your own custom trail mix. Plus being in control of the sweetness and spices makes for fun customizing opportunity.

Once you try my homemade granola, you will never go back to store-bought again!

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Heart Healthy Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

4 egg whites or 1/2 cup of egg substitute

1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup- optional

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup raisins

Or

1-1/2 cups of your favorite trail mix

1/2 cup fruits

1 cup sweetened coconut

Note: Add dried fruit in after baking.

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, lightly beat the egg whites, oil, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan and spread across the sheet into a thin, even layer. Press to compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through baking. Remove from oven when lightly browned, or until the edges are lightly browned. For added crunch, leave baked granola in the turned off oven, with the door open, for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer into a large bowl. Break cooled granola into pieces of the desired size. Serve plain or stir in the coconut, nuts, and raisins. For a time saver, add a ready-made trail mix or mix in your favorite nut or dried fruit combination.

Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature.

Hope you get to try my low-fat granola.

Thanks for stopping by.

Eileen~