Golden Granola

I love this recipe because it's full of healthy ingredients and it's fairly simple to make.

Adapted from 3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery

dry ingredients
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ, toasted
1/2 cup soy flour
1 cup pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

wet ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons honey (I used clover honey)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, currants, apricots, dates), chopped if necessary. I used golden raisins today.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until evenly moistened.

Spread on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Additional thoughts:
- the original recipe called for walnuts and almonds, so have fun with the nuts! Use what you like.
- you can substitute rolled rye flakes or rolled wheat flakes for up to 1 cup of the oats.
- feel free to use all maple syrup or all honey if you only have one or the other (or use them in another proportion for the same total amount of liquid... though I do like the combination - you can taste all the subtle flavors.
- I'm considering adding a little coconut next time I make it.

Note (5/1/2013): We have been making this a lot lately and it occurs to me that I should share that we tend to double the nuts and the fruit in this recipe. Often we use almonds (T's favorite) but pecans are a favorite as well.