It’s no lie: I am a sucker for granola. There’s just something about it that requires serious self control on my end to not eat handful after handful of it. Even though granola is thought to be a “healthy” snack or yogurt topper, you have to be careful because some brands are super high in calories and sugar.

Last week, as I was perusing the granola section in the grocery store and reading labels, I thought back to the days where I would make my own granola and decided it was time to do that again. When making your own granola, you control what is going in it and the end result is generally a lot healthier than anything you’d buy in the store.

I can’t remember where I found this recipe, but it’s been one of my favorites.

Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, excluding the dried cranberries.

2. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and place on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven to stir, and then bake for another 10-15 minutes.

3. When the granola is done, remove from the stove and add in the dried cranberries.

Yum! Not only is this granola absolutely delicious, but it is relatively healthy, too. The only problem, and I’m warning you now, is that you may have a hard time with portion control. It’s sad, but I finished that entire batch in a little over a week… yeah, that was just me eating it. Whoops.

Questions for you: Do you like granola? Do you have a granola recipe to share? What’s your biggest weakness in the snack cabinet/kitchen?