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Hi, friends. You know those mornings when your alarm rudely chirps at you and all you want to do is roll over and hit the snooze button a few times? By “a few times” I mean 10! As the chill settles into Iowa I find it’s harder to leave my warm bed each morning. Most mornings I wake up right as my alarm goes off, and sometimes 20 to 30 minutes before. I know, I’m kinda crazy, and to be honest with you, I never thought I would be a morning person, not in a million years! I really, truly love what I do, creating recipes, photographing them, and sharing them with all of you so that I can’t wait to get started each morning! Blessed. But recently, I want to stay in my cozy bed; our hardwood floors are way too freezing to handle in December. Just 10 more minutes ppaaallleeeaase! As you already know, breakfast is mandatory for me; I don’t function without it. So on a cold December morning when I wake up late, it’s essential to have something waiting for me. This Apple Spiced Granola is just the thing, especially when paired with a hot cup of tea and some scrambled eggs.
But wait, how did we get to December already??!!!? Have you guys decorated for Christmas yet? Are you ready to shop for presents? If you have either of those things done, you are way ahead of me. Go, you! If not, no worries. We’re in this together; there is still time! The one thing I have done to embrace the season is to bake Xmas cookies (coming soon so be excited) while listening to some Christmas tunes. Yes, I am ahead on making Christmas treats, but that tree…we’ll be lucky if it makes it up at all. Story of my life.
I digress. Back to the Apple Spiced Granola. It is loaded with fiber and protein from the oats, crunchy quinoa, pecans and pepitas. The apple pie spice–cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger– adds a lovely, warming, cozy feel that we all need on a December morning. Plus there are some dried apples thrown in there. Really, does it get any more delicious than that?
This granola couldn’t be any easier to make. Mix some applesauce, honey, oats, quinoa, pecans, peptitas and apple pie spice together and bake for 25 minutes until it’s golden brown! Then you toss some dried apples into the mix once it’s cooled. Apple Spiced Granola stores nicely in a mason jar for about a week.
I enjoy Apple Spiced Granola with some almond milk. The crunchy quinoa really holds its own. Or eat it straight out of the jar, or atop some yogurt. Devour it for breakfast, as a snack, or to satisfy a sweet tooth! The possibilities are endless.
Early mornings in December just got a little easier!
I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe. Your comments make my day! Cheers!
Apple Spiced Granola
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12 to 14 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Cuisine: Gluten-free, Vegan
Description
Apple Spiced Granola is filled with crunchy quinoa, oats, pecans, pepitas, apple sauce, and apple pie spice. It makes the perfect snack or breakfast!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free certified for gluten-free eaters)
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed,
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (can sub cinnamon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds; I find them in the bulk section of my grocery store)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4–1/3 cup honey (can sub agave nectar or maple syrup for vegans)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup homemade applesauce(can also use unsweetened store-bought applesauce)
- 3/4 cup dried apples, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together the oats, the uncooked, rinsed quinoa, the apple pie spice, salt, pecans and pepitas until well combined.
- Add the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and applesauce. Stir until well combined.
- Spread the oat mixture onto one large rimmed baking sheet, so the granola is in an even layer. If needed, use two baking sheets to ensure the granola isn’t too crowded.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the granola is golden brown. Stir the granola every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Allow the granola to cool completely, it will crisp up as it cools. Stir in the dried apples.
- Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, for up to 7 days. Serve with milk, yogurt, or by itself.
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