Most of us have quirks, idiosyncrasies, peculiarities, oddities, eccentricities, foibles, and whims. One of mine is that I do not like milk on my cereal. Please don’t expect me to eat soggy cold cereal, or drive away the steam of hot cereal by pouring milk on it. Gross!
I may be strange, but oatmeal makes me hangry. Seriously hangry! For about an hour after eating a bowl of oatmeal, I feel satisfied. Then, my stomach begins to accuse me of holding out on it, and hunger pangs and angry attitudes ensue. It’s not a pretty picture! Besides, the best part of oatmeal is the maple syrup, raisins, pecans, and applesauce decorating it. That’s why I like this granola – it’s a crunchy, protein-rich bowl of oatmeal goodness that doesn’t leave me hangry by 10:00am!
Granola is one of those sweet but nutritious treats that I eat with greek yoghurt or kefir — unless I’m in Sweden and I get filmjölk. Then I’m REALLY happy. đŸ¥° Adding a good source of dairy-based protein to my morning, along with this tasty granola, keeps me fueled well past normal lunchtime.
On the rare occasions that I make oatmeal, I add some dried apple rings that have been chopped – a trick I learned from my mother. Because they go so perfectly in steaming hot oatmeal (with maple syrup, raisins, etc.) why not put them into the granola?
If you can find walnut oil, it’s totally worth using it in this recipe. It enhances the nutty richness, and packs some great health benefits, including omega 3, vitamins E, K, and so on. The only drawback to walnut oil is that it has a shorter life span than other oils once opened. But you will love it for salad dressings, baking breads – and even moisturizing skin – so much that the bottle will be empty quickly.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, pecans, seeds, cinnamon and salt. In a smal bowl, stir together the sugar, syrup, and oil until the sugar is basically dissolved. Pour it over the oats and toss until well combined.
- Press the mixture onto a large rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 275 for 30 minutes.
- Using a spatula, break up the granola somewhat, stir it around, and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut and bake an additional 15 minutes.
- Once the granola cools completely on the baking sheet, stir in all the other fruity treats and store in airtight containers. Best is used within 2 weeks.
Easy and tasty! And no grumbling stomach or hangry-ness.
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Maple Pecan Granola
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Description
Sweet, crunchy, chewy — this granola has it all!
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free oats
- 2 cups pecan pieces
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup walnut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp raw sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2–3 cups fruit, such as flaked coconut, golden raisins, dried apple, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees
- In a large bowl stir together the oats, pecans, seeds, cinnamon, and salt
- In a small bowl stir together the oil, syrup, and sugar until mostly dissolved
- Pour the liquid over the oat mixture and toss until well combined
- Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and press down, bake for 30 minutes
- With a spatula break up the granola somewhat and stir it around, then return to oven for 20 minutes
- Stir in coconut, and bake another 15 minutes
- Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before stirring in other fruit
- Store in airtight container and use within 2 weeks, or so
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
