Carrots and Spring make a lovely pairing, even if you are not permitted by the weather to start sowing seeds in your garden.  When you add carrots to granola with cardamom, bliss in a bowl is what you should rightly expect. And this recipe did not disappoint.  I almost titled the recipe “Can’t-Stop-Eating-This Carrot Granola.”

Carrot Spice Granola can be enjoyed in a variety of formats–as an aroma while baking, as a dry snack, plain with milk, or topped with walnuts and raisins.  I suspect that adding pecans would taste lovely as well.  Why not try it that way and let us know how you liked it?

Ingredients:

5 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon caradamom
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut, optional
1/2 cup cooked carrots, pureed

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
raisins, optional

Directions:

1. Combine oats, spices, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, blend together brown sugar, carrot puree, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add wet mixture to oat mixture, and stir together until oats are evenly moistened.
3. Spread granola onto a large parchment-lined baking tray (or baking stone). Divide into batches if necessary.  Bake each batch for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees F (160 C). Stir granola and add in coconut. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until toasted but not too dark. Remove from oven and stir again.  Allow granola to cool completely.  Top with nuts and/or raisins if desired.

   

    

Find more healthy recipes at Pennywise Platter.