Cheese Pizza Granola

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker 

Cheese Pizza Granola

Makes about 1 cup

Cheese Pizza Granola... sounds crazy.  Because it's crazy.  

Granola's supposed to be wholesome, right?  Besides the oats, I can't vouch for the wholesomeness of the other ingredients. 

I can say the recipe's ingredients that aren't oats make a highly snackable, savory granola.

Crazy can be good.  Sometimes.

Ingredients 

2 TB vegan butter spread*

1 TB granulated sugar

1 TB tomato paste

1 TB grated parmesan or romano cheese

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp dried parsley

Preparation

In a large bowl, add all ingredients except the oats.  Stir until smooth.

Add oats to the bowl.  Completely coat the oats.

Drop clumps of half the granola on a microwave safe plate or parchment paper.  Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds at a time until the granola is dry to the touch.**

Carefully remove plate or parchment from the microwave.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Repeat with the remaining granola.

Store granola in an airtight container.

Cook's Notes

* Substitute dairy butter if vegan butter is available. 

 I considered using extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil.  But thought it may be too bitter or affect the cheesiness.  I may try it one day.

** Don't be tempted to set the timer for a few minutes without checking the progress of the granola.

The granola will go from raw/half done to burned in a matter of seconds.  

Granola may feel soft when taken out of the microwave.  It will harden as it cools.

Patience is key; this is much faster than making granola in a conventional oven.