Best-Ever Granola Recipe

In our house, cereal is a snack — sometimes, but not always, consumed in the early morning.  And ever since I came across the original recipe in Cook’s Illustrated, this has been our house cereal.  The nuts and dried fruit may change, but the crunchy, sweet-earthiness is constant.  It has replaced the store-bought cereals that we used to buy, but now avoid — due to the insane price and questionable additives.

Try this recipe.  I always double it, otherwise, I would be making it weekly.  My use of Sucanat is relatively new — it began in an effort to make the recipe vegan, and resulted in a superior, not-so-sweet granola.  If you take this recipe as a framework, then change things up within it, you’ll always have a tasty start (or end) to the day.  And yes, granola is a perfectly acceptable ice-cream topping, thank you very much.

Best-Ever Granola Recipe

(adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)

Pecan Pieces	1 C	160 g
Rolled Oats	3 C	300 g
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut	½ C	50 g
Blanched Slivered Almonds	½ C	50 g
Sesame Seeds	¼ C	40 g
Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds	¼ C	40 g
Maple Syrup	¼ C	65 g
Sucanat	¼ C	40 g
Sunflower Oil	1/3 C	65 g
Dried Fruit (cranberries, blueberries, apricot pieces, raisins, etc.)	1 C	150 g

C=cup   g=gram

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 325˚F. Mix first 6 ingredients together in large bowl.
2. Heat maple syrup, sucanat and oil together in small saucepan, stirring occasionally until warm.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir. Remove the mixture to a baking sheet with sides and spread into an even layer.
3. Bake about 15 minutes, or until granola is (very) light golden brown, stirring and turning mixture halfway through. Remove pan to a wire rack, stir in dried fruit and cool to room temperature.  Store in airtight container.  Will keep 2-3 weeks.

**Tips

• Sucanat is non refined cane-sugar.  I have also used honey and brown sugar, but I prefer the subtle sweetness that the Sucanat brings.
• Easily Doubled…use 2 cookie sheets and rotate on the oven racks after stirring and re-spreading to ensure the granola toasts evenly.
• Like I said, we use it for ice-cream topping, snacks by the handful and as cereal.  Howard uses plain old milk, but I prefer rice milk.  From organic, brown rice.  I can’t even taste the difference.