Spa Recipes: Granola

It seemed too good to be true—a delicious, nutritious breakfast that could double as dessert?

by Carolyn Meers

Armando Sanchez 

San Diego’s Cal-A-Vie health spa has created a granola that hits all the marks; it’s rich on texture and flavor but light on the waistline. Chef, Jason Graham, developed the recipe to offer optimal flavor and nutritional value. Subbing in agave nectar for maple syrup was a start. “Agave is a lower glycemic sweetener,” Graham explains. “It’s about one and a half times sweeter than sugar, so you end up using less.” He also ditched heavy cooking oil for grapeseed oil to slash calories and fat.

Granola Recipe

Makes 10 cups
1.5 bananas
2 cups agave or maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
Small pinch salt
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
4 cups rolled oats
1 box brown rice cereal
2 cups toasted slivered almonds or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine bananas, agave, cinnamon, salt and oil in a blender. Coat with the oats.
3. Spread mixture evenly onto 2 large sheet pans and bake for 30 minutes, turning the oats every 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, and stir in the brown rice cereal. Add more agave as needed.
5. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake mixture, turning every 10 minutes, for
45-60 minutes, until crispy. Remove and cool on rack for 1 hour.
6. Transfer mixture to an airtight container, and mix in the nuts.

Like our Facebook page HERE 

Follow us on Twitter HERE

Visit our website HERE

View our pins on Pinterest HERE