Oatmeal Cookie Granola

By: Elaine Skiadas, excerpted from Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook

By: Elaine Skiadas, excerpted from Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook

To say I’m obsessed with this granola would be a massive understatement. Before I left for college, I actually sent my mom the recipe and begged her to send me a batch while I lived in the dorms! It took quite a bit of trial and error, but it turns out that crispy rice cereal is the secret to irresistibly light and crunchy clusters. Simmering the sugars also creates these massive clumps that are perfect for late-night snacking. On that note—I leave you with a word of caution: This stuff is highly addictive.

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Makes6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

3 cups (270 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup (60 g) crispy brown rice cereal
1/4 cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (35 g) pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup (35 g) almonds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 g) coconut oil
1/4 cup (60 g) creamy almond butter
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (84 g) dairy-free chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, crispy rice cereal, seeds, almonds, flaxseeds, cinnamon and salt.
In a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, brown sugar and coconut oil. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and hold at a simmer for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and quickly whisk in the almond butter and vanilla until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Spread the mixture on the prepared sheet pan and press down firmly, using a spatula or another sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. The granola will still be a little soft when it first comes out of the oven. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to gently break the sheet into a few large clumps. Allow the granola to finish cooling completely on the sheet pan before transferring to an airtight container.