I love making my own granola and all kinds of it, but I absolutely have a favorite and I'm sharing it with you! Packed with lots of whole nuts and seeds and coated in a coconut-cinnamon-maple glaze, it ends up being both beautiful and absolutely delicious. If you're like me, you'll be making this one about once a month or more once you've fallen in love too!
You can mix and match the nuts and seeds in this mix. You can also coarsely chop the nuts if you want smaller chunks. I personally love it this way, but if you are using it more like a breakfast cereal, smaller bits with more rolled oats in the mix might suit you better. Likewise, if you are trying to avoid rolled oats, you can omit them entirely from this recipe too. Oh - and the extract and spice options can be mixed up a bit too. I got some gourmet extracts over the holidays and made one batch with cinnamon roll extract and some Penzeys pie spice. It was amazing!
Of course, I love sprinkling a bit of this on top of my homemade yogurt in the mornings, but it's also just a dandy foundation for a decadent trail mix for when I'm out hiking or canoeing. I take a bit of this granola and add chocolate chips and dried cherries and swoon every time I take a taste. And if you aren't sure what to top your next fruit crisp or crumble with, here's your answer. I've even sprinkled it over the top of a Dutch apple pie. Yum …. now I need to go make some more!
Nuts & Seeds Granola
- 1 cup pepitas
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 1 cup whole pecans
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt - omit if any of the nuts or seeds are salted
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Lay a silicone baking mat over a large cookie sheet and set aside.
Mix the pepitas, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt (if using) in a large bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla; stir to combine.
Pour the liquid over the nuts and seeds and toss to combine.
Place the mixture on the prepared cookie sheet and spread it into one even layer, letting the nuts and seeds touch each other so there is no space between them.
Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate the cookie sheet and bake another 5-10 minutes until the granola is lightly browned.
Let the granola cool completely - at least 20 minutes - before breaking it apart into chunks.
Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Yields: About 5 cups of chunky granola
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes