Yields: About 5-6 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
- 1 cup mixed nuts: Your choice of almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc. (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup seeds: (pumpkin, sunflower, flax, etc.)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (e.g., canola, avocado, or melted coconut oil)
Optional Additions:
- 1/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, chopped dates) – add after baking
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips – add after baking
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, seeds, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla bean seeds (if using).
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup (or honey), oil, and vanilla extract (if using instead of bean).
- Coat the Oats: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Bake: Spread the granola mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the granola is golden brown and fragrant.
- Cool and Add-Ins: Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once cool, stir in any optional dried fruit or chocolate chips.
- Store: Store the cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
- Customize it: Feel free to adjust the nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to your liking.
- Clumpy granola: For clumpier granola, press the mixture down with a spatula halfway through baking. Avoid stirring too much after that point.
- Prevent burning: Keep a close eye on the granola as it bakes, ovens can vary and it might brown quicker.
