Maple Pecan Granola // Vanilla Crunch Granola

You may have noticed a less posts than normal last month since I’ve been off traveling! I just got back from an awesome Alaska/Canada cruise, then a Peru trip, and will be catching up. On tours, I eat huge breakfasts for energy for the day, and all the hotels had amazing cereal – especially granola of all types (cacao, brazil nuts, peanuts, quinoa, Andean cereal, and more)- I can’t tell you how many bowls I ate daily.

Dad loves granola, even more than me. He’s a sucker for sales as well, so his idea of a good buy can be … interesting. If mom sends him to the grocery to buy milk, he’ll come back with twenty items.
Dad: Guess what! Granola was on sale so I bought 10 lbs of it! 

This is why mom now sends the kids to do her grocery shopping instead.

I hate paying $5 for a pound of granola, so I finally got around to making it myself. It’s so incredibly easy, but requires patience – baking low and slow is the way to go.

Maple Pecan Granola

You have to use real maple syrup – I can’t go back to the fake stuff after eating the real thing in Canada.

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces (or walnut pieces)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto sheet pans.

Bake for 2 hours, or until dry and crunchy*. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl.

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Vanilla Crunch Granola

Nuts and coconuts – a winning combination! Adapted from Delicious As It Looks

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions
Heat oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix together the oats and almonds. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar and salt into the water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in canola oil and vanilla. Pour into the oat and almond mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread mixture out on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 2 hours, or until dry and crunchy*. Remove from oven and let cool before breaking apart into chunks. Store in an air-tight container.

* length of baking time varies on how large the batch is