I just love making granola because it is so easy, creates a wonderful aroma that lasts for hours, and feels SOOOO good when I go to the supermarket and see how much they are charging for an itty-bitty bag that doesn't taste nearly as good as my homemade stuff. 


Maple Pecan (Coconut) Granola  
Feel free to add dried fruit or other nuts or seeds of your choice, like sunflower seeds, slivered almonds or walnuts. I personally prefer to put fruit in fresh, when I serve it. I find that the dried fruit gets kind of hard. Also, if you're not a fan of coconut, replace the coconut oil with canola and leave out the shredded coconut. (But if you do like coconut, you absolutely MUST try it with coconut oil. It transforms the granola - infusing it with an amazing coconut flavor.) The granola will keep for about three weeks stored in an air tight container or bag.
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
a dash of salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups raw oats
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Melt the oil. In a small bowl,combine the oil with the maple syrup, salt and cinnamon. Put the oats, coconut and pecans into a large bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir well to combine.

Pour the granola onto a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally so all the granola bakes evenly. Remove from the oven and let the granola cool thoroughly before transferring to an airtight container or ziploc bag. Enjoy plain, with milk or on ice cream or yogurt.



I shared this post on Countdown to 2011!