Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free & Vegan)

When it comes to sweets, my tastes run towards the very simple.  Chocolate.  Spicy stuff (gingerbread, carrot cake, etc.).  My favorite treat of all time is oatmeal raisin cookies.  Forget chocolate chip, its the crispy, chewy, cinnamon-y oatmeal raisin that is the cookie star in my book.  So that was the inspiration for this granola. 

With milk or sprinkled onto yogurt, this stuff is pure heaven.  I added golden berries, simply because, they kinda look like raisins and I was eager to try them (bonus that they are also super healthy!). The Snapz were added to provide a little crunchy contrast to the chewy fruit, but you could always throw in nuts instead.  Believe me, your house will smell divine after baking up this granola.  This isn't going to last long around here...the girls love it and so does my mom, who's noshed on it during her visit here recently.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free & Vegan)

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup granular stevia (or 4 droppers full of vanilla stevia liquid)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

5 cups large flake oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
4 cups puffed millet
1 cup millet (uncooked)

100g golden berries (optional)
2 13g bags Snapz Crunchy Raisins (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (increase to 3/4 cup if not using golden berries and Snapz)
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans, if desired

Melt oil over medium heat.  Add the apple sauce, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and turn heat down to low.  Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Turn off heat. 

Combine dry ingredients in a very large bowl.  Pour wet ingredients over top and stir until well combined.  Spread evenly onto 2 large, parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.  Stir granola and then switch pans (bottom to top, top to bottom), and bake for another 10 minutes.  Stir both again and return to oven.  Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  Switch position of pans again and let sit in oven for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Pour into airtight container and toss with fruit (and nuts, if using).  Keeps for up to 3 months.

I have shared this recipe to the Plant Based Potluck Link Up at Urban Naturale, the Saturday Night Fever Link Up and Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten-Free Friday.