Start your day with a burst of energy and nutrition with this homemade fruit and nut protein granola! Packed with steel cut oats, your favorite mix of dried fruits, crunchy nuts, protein powder, hemp hearts, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, this granola is a powerhouse of protein and flavor. Perfect for fueling your mornings or as a healthy snack, it’s not only high in protein but also incredibly versatile. Customize it with the dried fruits and nuts you love most—whether it’s chewy apricots and almonds or tart cherries and walnuts—to create a blend that’s uniquely yours. With its balance of wholesome ingredients, this granola makes eating healthy as delicious as it is easy.

Ingredients:

• 4 C steel cut oats
• 30 g protein powder 
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 C dried fruit of choice
• 1 C chopped nuts of choice
• 4 tbsp. hemp hearts
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix oats, protein powder, dried fruit, nuts and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, heat together salt, vanilla extract, butter and maple syrup until the butter is melted and everything is well mixed.
4. Pour the butter and maple syrup mixture of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir until the oats are well coated. 
5. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
7. Let cool and enjoy!