High Protein Granola

I have been working on my own granola recipe.  Most granola you find in the store is high carb and almost no protein.  If I eat carbs, I make sure to have enough protein first.  However, I like a little something with my yogurt now that I eat so much.  I have two recipes for now.  I will add more as I create and play around with the recipe.  This is a good base and easy to change up to your own tastes... Don't like pistachios? Use another type of nut.  Don't like nuts much?  Take some of the nuts out and add more oats and rice cereal.  Just remember, if you add more of those, you add more carbs back into the granola.

Vanilla Cinnamon Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup rice cereal
1 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (you could use any seed but I prefer sunflower)
1/2 cup pistachios
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Handful dried cranberries (optional)
2-3 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, you can change up sources of sweetness)
1 Tbsp. sugar substitute (I use in the raw stevia if possible, or sometimes I leave out.  You could use more of this and less syrup if you would like.)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: oats, cereal, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, protein powder, cinnamon, sweetener, cranberries, and salt.
Make a well in the center of the bowl and add wet ingredients to the well: butter, applesauce, eggs, and syrup.
Fold over until well combined. 
Spread the mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for approximately 24 minutes.  I turn the tray halfway to make sure it bakes evenly.  If you have a thicker batch, you may want to flip the granola before you turn.  I haven't noticed that flipping makes much difference.
Let the granola cool completely. 
I go ahead and cut this into bars and dip them in the yogurt.  I have not been able to get it crunchy enough to pour into yogurt but I love it dipped in or just as a bar. 
I keep this on the cabinet in a glass jar for a few days to about a week.  You can put it in the fridge but this definitely changes the texture and adds moisture.

Peanut Butter Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup rice cereal
1 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (you could use any seed but I prefer sunflower)
1/2 cup pistachios
1-2 scoops unflavored protein powder
4 Tbsp. powdered peanut butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, you can change up sources of sweetness)
1 Tbsp. sugar substitute (I use in the raw stevia if possible, or sometimes I leave out.  You could use more of this and less syrup if you would like.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: oats, cereal, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, protein powder, peanut butter powder, sweetener, and salt.
Make a well in the center of the bowl and add wet ingredients to the well: butter, applesauce, eggs, and syrup.
Fold over until well combined. 
Spread the mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for approximately 24 minutes.  I turn the tray halfway to make sure it bakes evenly.  If you have a thicker batch, you may want to flip the granola before you turn.  I haven't noticed that flipping makes much difference.
Let the granola cool completely. 
I go ahead and cut this into bars and dip them in the yogurt.  I have not been able to get it crunchy enough to pour into yogurt but I love it dipped in or just as a bar. 
I keep this on the cabinet in a glass jar for a few days to about a week.  You can put it in the fridge but this definitely changes the texture and adds moisture.