Carrot Cake Granola

If you love carrot cake you will love this granola recipe – it brings the spices, nuts, and (optional) fruit from carrot cake into a high protein, lower sugar alternative that still tastes like dessert. This recipe makes 15 servings (1/2 cup each).

Ingredients

• 500g | 4 cups old fashioned oats

• 100g | 7 tbsp melted butter

• 100g | 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 200g | 1-1/2 cups walnuts

• 100g | 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (optional, for added protein)

• Zest of 2 lemons

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp allspice (or cloves)

• Pinch of salt

• 100g | 3/4 cup dried fruit, such as pineapple or raisins – add after baking! (optional)

Look, I like pineapple in carrot cake. You might not. It’s optional. Leave it out or use raisins like some kind of monster. It’s your granola, not mine.

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl add your oats and melted butter. Stir to coat the oats in butter. You need to do this before adding other ingredients – otherwise the sugar and spices will absorb the butter and the oats won’t get crispy.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the dried fruit, and stir to evenly distribute.

Pour onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, mixing after about 10 minutes to release steam and re-distribute the oats.

Allow to fully cool, then add the dried fruit. Store in a glass container for up to a month.