This recipe is Incredibly simple. All you have to do is stir a few things together, then pop them in the oven for a spell, and voila you’ve got a delightful snack/breakfast topping. It’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s crunchy, it’s everything! In under 1 hour you'll have about 7 cups! Eat it yourself, give it away as a gift, or impress your friends at Sunday brunch.
The recipe called for the use of both maple syrup and brown sugar, but we decided to omit the brown sugar completely and were very satisfied with the result. If you know you like a sweeter granola then add the 1/2 cup B sug as the recipe instructs.
Olive Oil & Maple Granola
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips 1 ¼ cups raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
1-2 Tbps chia seeds *optional* ¾ cup pure maple syrup ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup packed light brown sugar *optional* I didn’t use it 1 pinch coarse salt, to taste
Heat oven to 300°F.
Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.