Home Made Nut-Free Granola

Unfortunately one of my children has a Tree-Nut Allergy, so buying things like Granola from a store is not an option for us.  Even if they don't contain nuts, most all of the granola says "Made in a Factory that processes nuts."  So I have to make stuff at home for them. Which is a fun thing to do as a family.  Here is a granola recipe that I found online, but tweaked a little. 

Nut-Free Granola


Ingredients

6 cups thick-cut oatmeal
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds, unsalted
2/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, unsalted
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 cup chopped dried cranberries (or other dried sweet fruit)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 and 1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine oatmeal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, wheat germ, chopped dried fruit, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Mix applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
Pour applesauce mixture over the oatmeal mixture; mix until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets; smooth into a single thin layer.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, stir gently to turn, and continue cooking until crisp and golden brown, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

xo
Cathleen