Getting more of what you love, in a granola.

I am usually not such a fan of granola. It usually seems too sweet and I would like it to be more custom, to my tastes: with less sugar, and more protein and fat. My blend would cause less of blood sugar spike. When there is protein and fat amongst the carbs, I can eat less of it and be satisfied and I don’t have to be going back for more, which happens after a sugar spike. I would use rolled oats as the base for my granola. I’d go very light on the sugar and probably use coconut nectar to sweeten (or vanilla-infused palm sugar).  I would use coconut oil to moisten the oats a bit before heating. Pecans will be the best choice for my mixture, and maybe a few walnuts or hazelnuts. For fruit, I’d use dried cranberries; in tiny little pieces, I might even pre- soak them in tangerine juice or water. As for seeds, I like hemp hearts. They are a great source of protein and seem to mellow out the other flavors and allow them to blend a little better. Instead of using the obvious: cacao nibs, I would actually make a batch of tempered dark chocolate ahead of time and add bits of the bar to the granola. Cacao nibs are great but they are bitter and very hard. I would add the hemp hearts and chocolate after toasting and completely cooling. A touch of sea salt will bring out some of the different flavors and make the final touch for my granola. Wish me luck, I’ve been thinking about this for at least a month now. Maybe tomorrow will be the day I make my own granola, for the first time. Have you made granola before? How did it turn out?