I’ve been giving this granola in mason jars as a Christmas gift to coworkers, neighbors and teachers throughout the years. It is an easy yet thoughtful way to show some love to those that are part of our daily lives.
This granola has the perfect balance of nuttiness and sweetness. You will be delighted with the warm cinnamon and the sweet maple syrup aroma floating through your kitchen while baking it.
This recipe calls for pecans, almonds and pumpkin seeds, but you can always swap these ingredients with whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand. I’ve made this with walnuts and cashews as well and turns out delicious.
How to make this granola
Making homemade granola is one of the easiest things you can make in the kitchen. You simply place all the ingredients except for the craisins in a big bowl and mix together. The tricky part is when it is time to bake it. I’ve tried different times and temperatures. If you bake it at 350 F like many recipes suggest, your granola will toast very fast and you could potentially burn it for this reason. I suggest baking it at 250 F for about 80 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.
Also, I suggest dividing the mix in two sheet pans so that the granola is evenly baked and achieves a golden even color.
Once is crispy and cooled, pour it into glass jars. I choose the 16 oz wide mouth mason jars and got 5 of them filled out with this recipe.
How to make this granola nutrient dense
An easy way to make this granola a little healthier, is to add 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds, 2 Tablespoons of whole chia seeds and a sprinkle some hemp seeds. You can always use 100 % pure maple syrup and reduce it to 1/4 cup instead of 1/3 of a cup. Also, make sure you use unsweetened coconut flakes and sprouted pumpkin seeds if available.
Recipe
Yields: 5, 16 oz wide mouth mason jars
3 cups of rolled oats
¼ cup neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable, canola etc.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
¾ tsp salt
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 cup pecans
1 cup of slivered almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup of craisins tossed after baking
Procedure
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the craisins until everything is evenly coated.
- Divide the mixture and place half of the granola on a sheet pan and the other half on another sheet pan.
- Make sure you use a baking sheet pan that is big enough for the granola to be spread out and evenly distributed. I use a 19 X 13 inch rectangular sheet pan.
- Bake at 250 F for about 80 minutes, moving every 20 minutes to get an even color and crunch. Take out of the oven when it is golden brown. Let it cool before storing. Store in an airtight container.
