Starting the weekend with a batch recipe that is worth its weight in gold, or champagne…or chocolate. This is my lifeline. Mornings in our house are not smooth, despite what I strive for as a mom. Chaos ensues, rushing happens, and with this recipe I can always feel nourished (and healthy) with literally three minutes to eat – this is never not in my cabinet. NEVER.
I love real granola. It means I can eat a healthy breakfast with zero effort every day, and it has become one of my favorite food items to gift to friends. This stems from years ago when I was sick and my good friend, Jean, brought me a fresh pressed carrot juice and a container of this granola. I think the two items alone healed me more than the antibiotics (it was pneumonia). Food wasn’t appealing when I wasn’t feeling well, and this nourished me. When I felt better, I asked her for the recipe and what she shared surprised me. She told me it was a “No-nut granola” recipe from Bon Appetite. It made me laugh because half of this is nuts. She made it work with her own changes. The original recipe has a lot of dried fruit, and she replaced it with nuts. This is a great morph, so thanks Jean, and BA! I have tweaked it a bit with extra coconut. I. Love. Coconut..
There are loads of granola recipes, and this one is inherently simple and full of real ingredients that work well together to make a greater sum of all parts. That’s the magic with granola – it must be perfectly balanced (not too sweet, a little bit salty) but basic ingredients can complement one another in simple harmony. I like dried cranberries in my granola, but omitting them from the recipe makes this much more suited for storage over a few weeks. I add them when desired, alternating between fresh and dried fruit depending on what is on hand. If the cranberries were combined at the outset, they would turn hard – nobody wants that.
The best trick I have with this, after years of making it, is to use coconut oil spray on the pan, fill it to the brim, and let the granola cool completely on the pan, (for up to 24 hours) to create the clusters that everyone loves. It’s the opposite of roasting vegetables where everything needs space to create the desired consistency – this one is a big batch of one pan deliciousness!
Best Batch Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups organic rolled oats , not quick cooking
- 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 cup pepitas
- 1 cup sunflower or sesame seeds
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a very large mixing bowl, toss the granola ingredients through the salt, until well combined.
- In a glass bowl or pitcher, combine the coconut oil and maple syrup, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir until coated. Pour the granola onto a 1/2 sheet pan, coated with cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray here). The sheet pan will be full, but not overflowing. This will allow for even cooking and clusters to form.
- Cook on middle rack for 22-25 minutes, until the edges are toasted and the entire pan is golden. Leave the sheet pan to cool on a safe surface until completely at room temperature.
- When fully cooled, break into clusters and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
1 Comment
I can vouch for this granola !! It is the very best !! And I am not just saying that because I am the MIL!