Wanting to save a few calories (as well as a lot of sugar)? I made regular granola, using Alton Brown's recipe, for many many years. But then I realized it was over 600 calories for a 1/2 cup serving. So I switched to toasted oats. Still slightly sweet, with a satisfying crunch, and perfect for fruit and yogurt for breakfast, but coming in at only about 142 calories per serving. This has become a pantry staple.
Toasted Oats
Adapted from a recipe by Liezl Jayne Strydom
4 cups rolled oats
1/4 to 1/3 cup liquid sweetener of choice (maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, rice bran syrup, molasses, sorghum…)
Good pinch of salt (I like Redmond’s Real Salt here)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (or baking spices of your choice – apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice would be good here)
2 oil of your choice (coconut, avocado…)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15-30 minutes until oats are as browned and crispy as you like. If your oven tends to run hot, check your oats frequently while baking and decrease oven temperature to 325. Makes eight ½ cup servings.
