Sometimes plain yogurt just does not do it for me. I need to mix it up with something. Most granola in the supermarket have either shredded coconut or abundance of nuts, again something I don’t like. A good granola is like finding a good wine that you want to keep going back to. This granola has large clumps that allow crunch to occur while you are eating yogurt. It is so easy to make it, that it may become part of your breakfast/snack rotation.

Nut Free Granola
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Cookbook and Melissa d’Arabian

Makes – at least 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup flax seed
1 cup rice krispies or puffed wheat cereal
¾ cup steel cut oatmeal
2 tbsp. melted butter
½ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 300F. Combine old fashioned oats, wheat bran, flax seed, cereal, and steel cut oatmeal, salt and cinnamon. Add melted butter, maple syrup, and egg whites. Lay flat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cook for 45 to 55 minutes. When dry to the touch, take out of the oven. Allow to cool for 5-8 minutes. Break up the granola into clumps. Store in an airtight container.