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Maple Granola

This granola is sweetened with 100% real maple syrup, resulting in a flavorful granola with no added refined sugar, and the nuts and seeds provide additional nutrition.
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Keyword: Dairy-Free Option, Easy--now you're cooking, Gluten-Free Option, Make-Ahead Option, No Salt or Low Salt, Vegan Option, Vegetarian Option
Servings: 12

Note: If you are cooking for a particular style of eating, please check all of your ingredients carefully.

Many of my recipes have alternatives, and you want to choose the alternatives that fit the style you are preparing. Also, packaged goods may have ingredients you wouldn't expect. Soy sauce may or may not have gluten. Chocolate may or may not have dairy. This means you want to check the ingredients labels on the products you will use. Also, it's important to be aware that if you are cooking for someone with allergies or other reasons to take special care, you should avoid cross-contamination. For example, don't use the same utensil that was used in food containing the allergen or use the same cutting board that was used for food containing the allergen.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup raw pecans (or use other nuts or seeds)
  • 1 cup raw almonds (or use other nuts or seeds)
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or pepitas (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups dried fruit (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put oats, nuts and seeds on a baking sheet with a rim. Sprinkle with salt and oil. Add maple syrup.
  • Mix ingredients together.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven every 7 to 10 minutes and stir the granola. Don't count the stirring time toward the 30 minutes, and allow a full 30 minutes of baking time.
  • Allow to cool. Stir in dried fruit, if using. Store in airtight container.
  • Maple Granola with plain Greek yogurt and cherry rhubarb preserves.
  • Breakfast Banana Split with Maple Granola.

Notes

When I add dried fruit to the granola, I like to use one cup dried cherries and one-half cup dried cranberries.  
I love this granola with dried fruit.  I also like to omit the dried fruit if I will enjoy the granola with fresh fruit, or if I will use it in a Breakfast Banana Split with fresh fruit or fruit preserves.  Here is the Breakfast Banana Split recipe:  Breakfast Banana Split – Vivisimo
This recipe is very flexible, and you can choose your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit, or use what you have on hand.
Home made Maple Granola makes a great gift.  Consider presenting it in an elegant glass container.
I'm a fan of the pure maple flavor just as it is in this recipe, and one of my friends always adds cardamom.  You might want to add cinnamon.  It's great to experiment.