This is a really delicous granola recipe that I adapted from Berkeley's famous Cheese Board. Their recipe is called Killer Granola and it calls for quite a bit of brown sugar. I substituted with a combination of honey and maple syrup. You could vary the type of nuts and seeds you use to your own taste, but I think pecans make this recipe extra decadent, especially in combination with the maple syrup. If you're making this for more than one person, I would recommend doubling the recipe — it's a little bit addictive and it goes fast. I've been having it for breakfast with some plain yogurt and fruit. Because of the honey, maple syrup and butter, the granola clumps nicely and is good to munch on straight for a snack — it tastes like a cross between a cookie and granola bar in the best way.

Good Morning Granola (adapted from the The Cheese Board Collective Works)

Makes 3 cups granola

3 tbl butter pinch salt 1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts (I used pecans & walnuts) 2 heaping tbls honey 2 tsp maple syrup ¼ tsp vanilla 1 ¼ cup oats ½ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup sesame seeds and/or pumpkin seeds ( I used both)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the salt over low heat. Add the chopped nuts, increase to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add the honey and maple syrup, reduce the heat to low and stir until combined. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. In a large bowl combine the oats and seeds. Add the liquid and nut mixture and toss until the oats are evenly coated. Spread the granola on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to redistribute the granola. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

This is an easy recipe that takes about 30 minutes total. It is so much healthier (and less expensive) than store-bought varieties, which are almost always loaded with added sugar, as well as poor quality vegetable oils. For added health benefits, soak the nuts and seeds overnight and then dry in the oven at a low temperature for several hours. See my post on the benefits of soaking for more information on this. This recipe is also gluten-free if you buy gluten-free oats.

This granola is full of healthy fats and protein. It makes for a hearty breakfast when served with organic whole-milk plain yogurt. I've been buying Saint Benoit yogurt from the Berkeley Farmers Market and it is amazing (it is also available at Whole Foods). I love that they use glass and ceramic jars that you can return for a deposit, which they then reuse. I hope to see more companies pick-up this trend.