Crunchy Granola Breakfast Cereal

Prep Time:
15 mins

Cook Time:
1 hr 20 mins

Total Time:
1 hr 35 mins

Servings:
25

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix together rolled oats, flax seed meal, steel-cut oats, oat bran, pecans, and wheat germ in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk together agave nectar, pumpkin, brown sugar, water, canola oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt in a separate bowl, stirring until brown sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour pumpkin mixture over oats mixture; stir to coat. Spread mixture on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Stir dates into granola and continue baking until granola is lightly golden brown, 20 to 30 more minutes, stirring once. Let cool completely.

Mix chocolate chips into cooled granola until evenly combined. Store in an airtight container.

Cook's Notes:

Flax seeds release their nutritional content after you grind them to meal. I used a small coffee bean grinder to do this. 1/4 cup flax seeds will yield approximately 1/2 cup meal.

You won't taste the pumpkin flavor; it adds necessary liquid and extra nutritional value. You could use oil or applesauce alternatively, but if you do, omit the 2 tablespoons canola oil since oil and applesauce contribute more liquid than canned pumpkin.

Mini chocolate chips are added for the sake of my kids and can easily be omitted. You could also add 4 packets of the mini marshmallows that come with prepared hot chocolate mixes.

Try applesauce and apple pie spice for a slightly different flavor or different nuts, various dried fruits, coconut, or whatever you have in the pantry. Add the nuts at the beginning so they get nice and toasted, and the dried fruits after the first hour.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)