I’ve been wanting to make granola for a while because it’s one of the best breakfast foods. Easy to make, lasts a long time, very flexible with ingredients, and mixes well with yogurt.

This recipe is from Judy Krizmanic’s “The Teen’s Vegetarian Cookbook” which outlines some simple and inexpensive meals. This was the first cookbook I ever received and I’ve been using it for almost 10 years now–tons of great stuff in it. I chose to put dried mango in instead of raisins because, in my opinion, they taste better. Also it’s just more colourful.

For anyone whose wondering, oats are safe for gluten-free when consumed in the right amounts. There’s a good article on it here for anyone who is Celiac or gluten intolerant.

Also to clear up any confusion, I had a hard time figuring out the difference between rolled oats, flaked oats, instant oats and “old-fashioned” oats. It turns out that rolled oats and old-fashioned oats are the same, instant oats are thinner so they cook faster (not ok to sub in for this recipe) and flaked oats can be used in recipes like burgers.

Ingredients

Makes about 6 cups

• 1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. black sesame seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 3 cups rolled (or “old-fashioned”) oats
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried mango, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an ungreased skillet, combine sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and almonds on low heat. Stir frequently to toast, until strong aromas arise and seeds/nuts appear to be slightly golden.

In a large bowl, combine the toasted seeds and nuts with remaining ingredients (do this in order) except for the dried mango. Once well combined, spread mixture over 2 baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The granola should be golden brown once done. Remove from oven and leave granola on a pan while cooling.

Add dried mango to granola once cooled, and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container. Serve on its own or with fresh fruit and yogurt. Enjoy!