Chai Spice Granola

I love cereals and granola bars, but even eyeing nutritional labels like a hawk, I still find 99% of them sweeter than I prefer these days. So, I started looking up steps for making my own granola - and how can you go wrong with tons of spices like this recipe calls for?

This turned out surprisingly well for a first attempt! Maybe not quite as crunchy as I sometimes prefer, but more than just edible, and endlessly adjustable.

• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water (or 2/3 cup soymilk for soaked oatmeal alternative)
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread nuts on the baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Either by hand or using a food processor, roughly chop up the nuts. In a large bowl, add oats, nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
4. Microwave 1/2 cup of water until warm and mix honey in until blended.
5. Stir almond butter, vanilla, and almond extract into the honey mix.
6. Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until evenly blended. Pour granola onto the baking sheet in an even layer. If you want a chunkier granola, press the layer into a solid sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. If you want a looser granola, stir the granola around in the pan and bake for 10 more minutes. For a chunky granola, do not touch; let it cook for 10 more minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.

Alternative using soaked oatmeal:

1. At least 6 hours before, microwave the 2/3 cup soymilk (or any other liquid alternative) until warm and mix honey, vanilla, and nut butter in until blended. Mix oatmeal in and let soak.
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread nuts on the baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Either by hand or using a food processor, roughly chop up the nuts. In a large bowl, add oats, nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
4. Drain the oatmeal mixture in a sieve, then mix into the dry ingredients. Stir until evenly blended. Pour granola onto the baking sheet in an even layer. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Break up and stir the granola around in the pan and bake for 10 more minutes. For a crispier granola, stir again and let it cook for 10 more minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.