I first made this delicious, super-crunchy granola while consulting for Edge of the Woods, a great natural foods market, bakery, and vegetarian café in New Haven, Connecticut. At the time, I was developing lots of agave nectar desserts and goodies for diabetics and clients concerned with sugar when it occurred to me that there were no good-tasting, sugar-free granolas available. Hence the birth of Orange Pecan Granola, a staple in our household! Great on its own as a snack, or sprinkle it over yogurt, fresh fruit, or even frozen yogurt for dessert.

　　

Ingredients

makes 10 cups

　　6 cups regular rolled oats (not quick cooking)

　　1 cup oat bran

　　1 cup ground flax meal

　　1 cup almond meal (ground raw almonds)

　　1/4 cup sesame seeds

　　1 3/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

　　1 cup light agave nectar (or 1 1/3 cups for sweeter granola)

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon orange extract

　　2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon cloves

　　1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/4 cup canola oil

　　1 cup currants or raisins

　　1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped (try other nuts for variety)

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300°F.

　　

Step 2

Combine all ingredients except pecans and mix well. Add pecans and mix again. Spread mixture evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until slightly golden—about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, stir in currants, and let cool. Stored in an airtight container the granola should keep for approximately 2 months.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.