Description
This granola tastes just like a lemon oatmeal cookie!
Ingredients
3 cups GF rolled oats (I use GF Harvest)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)
Optional Additions:
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cherries
2 to 4 tablespoons quinoa or millet (uncooked)
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 cup dried fruit pieces or berries (like apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, etc…)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large half sheet-sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, lemon zest, rosemary, and sea salt, mixing well. Drizzle the oil, agave and lemon extract over top and mix well until the oats are evenly coated.
3. Spread the oat mixture in the prepared pan. Press down into a fairly even layer. This will make the granola crisper with bigger pieces after baking and cooling. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until evenly browned. Depending on your oven, you may need to flip the baking sheet halfway through, if the granola is looking too dark on one side.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely. Gently mix in the raisins. The granola will crisp up when it’s cool. If it’s not crisp, you can return it to the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Scoop up the cooled granola into a glass jar or airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a month.
Tip: If using nuts, add them after baking for 5 minutes, as you don’t want them to burn. Add the dried fruit after baking.
Notes
Variations:
Lemon Coconut: Omit the rosemary and substitute melted coconut oil for the olive oil. You can also add dried shredded coconut.
Almond Cherry Pecan: Substitute a neutral oil like canola or safflower for the olive, omit the rosemary, and add 1 tablespoon almond extract instead of the lemon extract. Add dried cherries and pecans.
