Big Cluster Maple Granola

While I love my usual eggs and veggies for breakfast most mornings, I also love a quick and easy granola with yogurt or nut milk when I just don't have a lot of time.  In reading about all the extra sugars and additives in my usual TJ's granola cereal, I decided it was time to make my own so I know exactly what is going into it.  I found this recipe for Big Cluster Maple Granola in the original Smitten Kitchen cookbook and Saturday night after dinner I whipped up a batch for breakfast the next morning.  It was super simple to make and made the whole house smell like fall with the cinnamon and maple {not necessarily a bad thing} and even though my batch did not really cluster much {I think I needed more than the 1 egg white the original recipe calls for to bind the pieces together} it still tasted absolutely delicious paired with some Greek yogurt and warm coffee.  I've been enjoying it all week long {as evidenced by the sparse remains in the last picture} and plan on always having the ingredients on hand to whip up whenever I need it!

Big Cluster Maple Granola

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ or flax seed

2 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1-2 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups dried cherries or other dried fruit {I used cranberries}

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Combine all ingredients except egg whites and dried fruit in a large bowl.  Toss to coat evenly.  Whisk egg white in separate bowl until frothy.  Stir into granola mixture, distributing throughout.

3. Spread granola in single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake 45-55 minutes.  Halfway through, use large spatula to turn over sections of granola carefully, breaking up as little as possible.  Rotate pan if necessary.  Once evenly browned and dry to the touch, transfer pan to cooling rack and cool completely.

4. Once cool, break up granola into desired size clusters.  Sprinkle in dried fruit.  Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 weeks, or longer in freezer.

Makes about 7 cups

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,

stephanie marie