Homemade Granola

After reading this recipe on Hungrygirl.com, I was inspired to make my own homemade granola.  To my surprise, it came out awesome!  I am always searching for healthier and lower calorie foods, but my fiance always prefers the full-fat and less healthy options.  However, I made this granola, and before I could eat more than a handful, my fiance had demolished the whole batch!  I think that says a lot for the recipe!!!


I did not follow the recipe exactly as it is written on Hungrygirl.com.  I could not find any puffed rice cereal, so I used only puffed wheat cereal (and it was sweetened).  I used the Great Value brand called Honey Crunch puffed wheat cereal.  I also used quick oats since it wasn't specified in the recipe (I don't think it really matters).  Anyway, here is the recipe that I created.


Ingredients:
1 cup quick oats
1 cup puffed wheat cereal
5 tablespoons sugar free syrup
raisins (as much as you like)
1 apple (I used a Granny Smith)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup water
Cinnamon 
Sugar (or sweetener like Splenda or Truvia)


Directions:


Basic Granola
1.  Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. 
2.  Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then transfer the oats/cereal mixture onto the pan.  Spread the mixture out in a thin layer.
4.  Cook the granola for 35 minutes.
5.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the granola cool on the pan.


Dried Apples
6.  Adjust the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
7.  Meanwhile, combine the water and the lemon juice in a bowl.
8.  Cut the apple into thin slices.  The thinner, the better.  If you want, you can core them.  I left the cores in the apple and just removed the seeds.  As you slice them, place the slices in the lemon juice and water.  
9.  Let the apples soak in the water for about 8 minutes. 
10.  Remove and lay them out onto a cookie sheet.
11.  Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small dish and sprinkle (to your liking) on the apple slices.
12.  Place the apples into the oven for about an hour or until they are fairly dry and brown.
13.  Remove the apples and lift each one so that they won't stick as they cool.


Finish the Granola
14.  Transfer the basic granola into a bowl.
15.  Add the raisins and dried apples.
16.  Mix and enjoy!