Brown sugar is an ingredient I don’t use enough. When I find it in the pantry, I could eat it by the spoonful. It reminds me of cinnamon rolls and apple crumbles, and so does this simple granola recipe.

I usually like to add some sort of healthy fat like almonds or peanut butter to my granola but wanted to try something different. There’s only 2 Tablespoons of oil in the entire batch and no nuts. If you’re looking for a leaner breakfast, this will definitely fit the bill.

You can add more spices to suit your favorite flavors. Swapping in pumpkin pie spice or adding your own nutmeg and allspice will give it a slightly nuttier flavor. Make sure to use gluten-free oats if dealing with a gluten allergy.

Low-Fat Cinnamon Brown Sugar Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, oil, water, cinnamon, and salt until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are evenly mixed.
3. Pour the oats out onto a non-stick baking surface and spread them out into a thin layer.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the oats are crisp and turn golden.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
6. Add the raisins into the granola and mix well.
7. Store in a sealed container at room temperature when not enjoying.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe for granola. That’s mostly because I’ve been reluctant to pay $7 for a bag of gluten-free rolled oats at the grocery store near me. But this week I finally caved in because I’d missed a bowl of hot, soft oatmeal in the morning and chewy, crunchy granola on my yogurt.

I love the subtle flavor of maple syrup; when I sweeten my yogurt I usually choose maple syrup over honey. It’s even better with a little cinnamon and vanilla mixed in to remind you of warm french toast. This granola is great over some maple yogurt but also by the handful.

This granola isn’t too sweet on its own. If you prefer a sweeter granola, increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup. You can also add some chocolate chips once the granola has cooled for a fun flavor.

Maple Hazelnut Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 1/2 cups):

• 2 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt thoroughly.
3. Lay the oats out on a non-stick baking tray in a thin layer.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the oats are toasted but not burnt.
5. Remove the granola from the oven and let the oats cool.
6. Once cool, toss the oats with the hazelnuts and raisins until thoroughly mixed.
7. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature when not eating.

I’m a sucker for sweet breads. So far this Summer we’ve made banana bread and zucchini bread. That got me wondering what other fruits and vegetables you can bake into bread?

As unglamorous as they are, carrot desserts are some of my favorites; I’ve had carrot cakes at multiple birthdays throughout the years. Some people think they sound too healthy to make a good dessert, but if you slap enough cream cheese frosting onto anything it will taste good, right?

This bread isn’t quite as sweet as a carrot cake or carrot cake muffin would be; I like that because the last thing I need in the morning is a sugar coma. Instead it’s rather spicy with jewels of sweetness from the raisins. You can swap in toasted walnuts for the coconut for a nuttier flavor and added crunch. Of course you can also add white chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting; it’s all about how decadent you want to go.

Gluten-Free Carrot Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup tightly packed shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 6oz container plain yogurt
• 4 extra large eggs
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the almond flour and brown sugar to make sure there aren’t any clumps.
3. Add in the carrots, oil, yogurt, and eggs and mix completely.
4. Toss in the raisins, coconut, salt, baking powder and spices and mix again.
5. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50 minutes or until the center of the loaf has set.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into slices.

It didn’t take me very long to mix some powdered sugar and cream cheese and spread it onto a hot slice. It didn’t take me long at all.