Crunchy, naturally sweet and a little addictive.
I say it’s Maple Pecan because to me those are the star ingredients. My friends call it Crack Granola, because it has an addictive quality. Whatever you call it, it is best made with love and shared with love.
My granola recipe is based on the recipe from the Queen Ina Garten.
This is the recipe that I have been making and tweaking and gifting the longest.
What makes this granola recipe special? Of all the recipes I’ve seen and claim to be the best, I’ve only ever seen this technique from Ina Garten (and that’s why she is the queen).
And here it is: the first step is to roast the oats and nuts. This brings out the flavor and adds a wonderful crunchy texture that makes the recipe great for snacking or sprinkling on top of a smoothie bowl or even a salad (I’ll tell you about granola salad another time).
This is a great recipe for gifting. Food is love. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup pecans (raw, use pieces, halves or give them a rough chop)
- 1 cup pepitas (raw)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or avocado oil)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (or a tablespoon, follow your heart)
- 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- chocolate chips or dried fruit (optional)
- course sea salt (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the oatmeal and nuts together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, place the oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute.
- Transfer the toasted oats and nuts into a large mixing bowl and stir in the cinnamon and flaxseed. Add the melted coconut oil mixture and combine well.
- Reduce the oven to 300 degrees.
- Pour the mixture back onto the pan, spread and pat down with a silicone spatula.
- Add desired toppings: chocolate chips, dried fruit or sea salt.
- Bake for ~25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before breaking into chunks. And try not to eat it all at once.
Notes
*Feel free to sub the nuts and spices to your liking. This is also great with almonds. I like a mix of whole and thinly sliced.
*Add up to 1 cup of coconut flakes or shredded coconut. This can be in addition to or instead of the flaxseed.
*Play with mix ins. This is great with dried cherries or cranberries (with or without the chocolate).
*Make it sweeter by adding 1/3 cup of maple syrup.
*This makes a great snacking granola (highly addictive), the granola stays in easy-to-grab chunks. For a more crumbly granola, leave out the coconut sugar.
*This will stay good for about 2-3 weeks in an airtight container.
Makes a great gift, especially if you have to ship it!
Leave a Reply