Granola has become mainstream in the American diet. This recipe is really great as a mix-in for a yogurt bar at a brunch party. Your guests will keep going back to munch on more granola long after their yogurt is gone! I use salted butter in this recipe so I don’t have to add any salt; a little saltiness is necessary to balance the sweetness.
What do you need?
Yield: 2 quarts
- Cooking spray
- ¼ cup (1 stick) salted butter*
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole raw almonds
- 1 cup whole raw pecans
- 1 cup whole raw walnuts
- 1 cup whole raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
What do you do?
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease the foil with the cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir to combine. (If you are making this as a vegan recipe and leaving out the butter, don’t bother heating the syrup—just pour it and the vanilla extract over the oats in a large bowl.)
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and seeds. Pour the contents of the saucepan over the mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Arrange half of the granola mixture over the baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how brown you like it. Check the granola half way through cooking and rotate the pan in the oven for more even cooking. Remove from the oven and remove the foil lining of the baking sheet containing the granola. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature.
- Reline the baking sheet with foil, spray with the cooking spray, and repeat with the remaining granola mixture.
- Serve when completely cool or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 60 days.
To make this recipe vegan, omit the butter and increase the maple syrup to ¾ cup and add 1 full grind from a sea or Himalayan salt grinder
Are you interested in healthy eating?
Click this link for more articles by Kimberley Maloomian on healthy nutrition.
Besides being an avid amateur equestrian, Kimberly Maloomian is a registered top dietitian. She has been the lead dietitian at The Miriam Hospital in RI and she runs her private consulting firm Kimba’s Kitchen offering medical nutrition therapy, weight management strategies, and wellness services for individuals or companies nationwide.
Kimberly: “In my late teens and early 20s I was a groom, on the road, failing at keeping myself healthy. Much of the reason I became a dietitian was to learn how to properly care for myself, and it has evolved into a passion for helping others learn to do the same. I identify with all the grooms out there and while the industry and world are always evolving, one thing remains constant. What we put into our bodies leads to our success in everything we do, and mentoring people to be the best versions of themselves is the ultimate honor.”
