Maple Pecan Granola

Sweet and crunchy maple pecan granola. Better than store bought, this granola makes a great breakfast or healthy snack. 

If you’ve never made your own granola, then this is a brilliant recipe to try. Making homemade granola couldn’t be more easy! I really enjoy baking my own completely from scratch, it makes a great affordable and healthy breakfast and when you make it yourself, the real bonus is you know exactly what ingredients have gone into it.

As summer nears to a close, autumn is just around the corner, and I am super excited to start new seasonal baking. So I’m kicking off the new season with this crunchy, golden and delicious maple pecan granola. I’ve shared a few granola recipes on the blog so far, including this vanilla almond granola which is a favourite of ours. I’ve used that granola as a base recipe for this maple and pecan version, the only change I made was cooking the granola at a slightly lower temperature for longer. You can never have enough granola recipes on hand!

I’ve added light brown sugar to my granola, this adds a very light molasses flavour and also gives it that perfect crunch. I love the rich maple flavour with the crunchy toasted pecans. When the pecans toast and caramelise in the oven they remind me of pecan pie.

My favourite way to serve this granola has to be with milk or Greek yoghurt, topped with mixed berries. But it certainly tastes great on its own – I often munch on a few handfuls for an afternoon pick-me-up. It makes quite an addictive treat to snack on!

Ingredients:

300g (3 1/2 cups) jumbo rolled oats

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

100g (1 scant cup) pecans, roughly chopped

200g (7 ounces) maple syrup

4 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Additional – 

Dried fruit – apricots, dates or prunes

Pumpkin, chia, sunflower seeds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C / 130 Fan / Gas Mark 2 . Line 1-2 large baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a small saucepan melt together the maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract on a medium heat. When the mixture is runny, take off the heat.
3. In a mixing bowl mix together the oats, brown sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon. Pour the wet mixture over the oats and mix to coat fully. Make sure you cover all the oats.
4. Spread out evenly on 1-2 large baking trays. Bake for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cook until light golden and toasted. Granola will feel soft at this point, but as it cools the air will make it crunchy.
5. Remove tray from oven once cooked and allow to cool. Once cooled store in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 month.

Recipe Notes:

• You can use any oil you like – coconut oil, regular vegetable or canola oil would work well.
• Adjust spices to your taste, add ins include a 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg or cloves. You can also add an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon for more spiced flavour.
• Top with anything you like. Dates would really well with this granola, but you could also top with sliced strawberries, banana or blueberries.

Enjoy!

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