Gluten free,naturally sweetened  granola 

I love granola. Granola bars, granola with milk, granola and yogurt, granola straight from the bag to my mouth .....i can honestly say that I could eat this stuff every day of my life and not be sad.

Since being diagnosed 10 years ago with celiac disease, granola, again a staple and love of my life, I have not had nearly enough to thrive.

Crunchy, chewy, sweet and yummy.

Most store bought granola is loaded with processed sugar and laced with gluten. So bad for me.....

The gluten free varieties are usually expensive and I am cheap, I mean frugal so that's out. 

So I make my own! 

You can pretty much use whatever grains and spices, nuts and seeds you would like. My ingredients vary depending on what i have on hand or my mood. 

You mix everything together, with the exception of dried fruits, those we set aside for later. Fruits tend to burn so I toss them in for the last 5 minutes of baking. It will bake for about 35-40 minutes, and you will stir it every 10 minutes or so to have uniform Browning and crisping . I used birch syrup this time but you can substitute that with raw honey or more maple syrup.  You can also use coconut oil instead of butter if you prefer. Since making this batch and had time to write out this post, I have eaten all my granola and need to make more! 

Here's my recipe....see you next time-joy 

Naturally sweetened gluten free granola

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks 

4 cups oatmeal

1 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup sunflower kernel

2 tablespoons flax seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/4 c hemp seeds

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup birch syrup 

1/2 cup chopped dates, set aside

Preheat oven to 400°

Mix all ingredients except dates and spread into 9×13 pan

Bake uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes for 30 minutes, add dates, stir and bake 5-10 more minutes until oats are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Store in airtight container.