Last updated on December 3rd, 2023
Confession: I’m a granola freak. I make a big batch most Sunday evenings, and then munch my way through it all week long. My latest version is kissed with cinnamon and sweetened with pure maple syrup. In other words, it’s outrageously delicious. It’s also a cinch to make.
The ingredients for this breakfast bliss were inspired by a recent trip to Tierra Farm in Valatie, NY. The farm’s retail store offers a dazzling selection of 100% organic produce, including nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. They also sell organic fair trade coffee. I purchased a mixture of medium and dark half-decaf beans, which, when brewed, offered a depth of flavor you would not believe.
We can discuss the merits of fair trade coffee beans in a future post. Meanwhile, let’s make some crunchy-munchy granola!
Tip 4 cups organic oats (a gluten-free variety if necessary) into a 5-quart bowl. For maximum crunch, be sure to use “old-fashioned”, not “quick-cooking” oats.
Add 1 cup of shredded, organic coconut…
1 cup of sliced, organic raw almonds…
And 1 cup of organic sunflower seeds.
Mix thoroughly with the big green spoon that “spoke” to you at a kitchen supply store.
While taking the worst photograph in your life, stir in 3/4 cup organic safflower oil.
While taking the second worst photograph of your life, stir in 1/3 cup pure maple syrup.
Also stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons (or more, to taste) ground, organic cinnamon…
And 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Stir and stir until every flake, seed and nut is thoroughly coated.
Now line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. I use high-quality (and thus re-usable) parchment that is pre-cut to fit my baking sheets. You can order the sheets in bulk, just as I do, from this online source.
Scoop the granola onto the prepared baking sheet, and spread it out as evenly as possible.
Bake on the lower-middle rack of a preheated 325°F oven until lightly colored — 40-45 minutes. (I used to bake my granolas at 350°F, and stir them every 7 minutes or so. Mercifully, the lower oven temperature eliminates the need to stir.)
Cool on the tray for 1 hour. Then break up the works (yes, I ate the segment you see pictured above, and yes, it was delicious), and put them in a big mixing bowl. You can, of course, use the same mixing bowl you started with. Just wash it out and dry it first.
Crush the segments with a stout spoon.
And then…
And then…
Gently fold in 1 cup dried, organic, wild blueberries…
And 1 cup dried, organic, mulberries.
Can’t find dried blueberries or mulberries locally? Substitute other dried fruit, such as golden raisins and cranberries.
Ready to taste this colorful concerto?
It’s yummy with yogurt, milk, or ice cream. I have not tried it with beer.
Folks, I wouldn’t hesitate to pour this granola into attractive glass jars, and offer it as a birthday or Christmas gift to my foodie friends. It’s the kind of unique-boutique gift they would actually use.
Here, for your convenience, is a printable version of the above.
Kissed with cinnamon and sweetened with pure maple syrup, this all-organic granola is crunchy-munchy delicious! If you can't find dried, organic wild blueberries or mulberries locally, just substitute golden raisins and dried cranberries.
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic oats (plain, not "quick-cooking")
- 1 cup organic shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup raw, organic sliced almonds
- 1 cup organic sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons organic ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dried, organic wild blueberries*
- 1 cup dried, organic mulberries*
- *Feel free to substitute the blueberries and mulberries with your choice of dried fruit!
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position; preheat oven to 325°F. Tip the oats, coconut, almonds, and sunflower seeds into a large (5 quart) bowl. Stir to combine. Then stir in the oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir thoroughly to insure all ingredients are coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the granola onto the sheet, and spread it out as evenly as possible. Bake until lightly browned -- 40-45 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 1 hour.
- Break up the chunks of granola, and put them in a big bowl. Then crush with a stout spoon or spatula. Gently fold in the dried fruit.
- Serve with yogurt, milk, or ice cream.
Enjoy this recipe? Get my email updates.
Related Posts:
Rustic Apple Cake
Pumpkin-Spiced Cinnamon Rolls
Perfect, Easy-to-Peel Hard-Cooked Eggs
Megan Shepardson says
Nom nom! Making this tomorrow!
Eileen says
I will add pecan halves to this recipe! Can’t wait!
Mary in Iowa says
I will make this tomorrow for sure. I normally use organic honey, but the maple sounds like a delicious change of pace. Baking it will make the house smell so wonderful and drive out the smell of smoking plastic from punching holes with a hot screwdriver in another 15 jugs today. I thought about throwing some mulling spices in a pot of boiling water to mask that acrid odor, but your granola sounds much better. Wishing you a happy week.
Sharon says
What would be your suggestion for using raw hazelnuts in this recipe? I have a bag of them stashed in the freezer and need more recipes to use them up.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sharon – Coarsely chop the hazelnuts, then add them to the mix. They’ll toast beautifully along with the rest of the granola ingredients. Enjoy!
Josie says
Yum! I have been in search of a good granola recipe, and this one looks perfect for me. As for the coconut- are you using sweetened or unsweetened in this recipe?
Denise says
Just pulled a tray of this deliciousness out of the oven. O.M.G. Resisting the urge to do a face plant In it.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Josie – Both types of shredded coconut will work for this recipe. The organic version is generally not sweetened.
Hi Denise – Now that’s a review. Munch away!
Mary in Iowa says
I have a request that has nothing to do with granola. I just received a phone call asking what annuals can be winter sown. I gave a short list of what I’ve sown, and of what Nature winter sows, and also directed them to your site. You have a list of perennials that require stratification, and mention a few annuals in another post, but if you have a good list of hardy annuals that will do well with the winter sowing method, would you consider posting that some day? My neophyte garden friends will thank you.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary – Would you believe that on another gardening site someone listed Zinnia elegans as a hardy annual? Well, it certainly isn’t hardy or self-sowing in my cold climate! One day I will compile a comprehensive list of annuals that lend themselves to winter-sowing. One day…
Mary in Iowa says
HA! Today’s caller said she bought Zinnia seeds. I told her to wait, and tried to explain tender, half hardy and hardy. Can’t believe a gardening site would classify them as hardy–not one worth its salt anyway. I’m happy that these people are getting into gardening, are intrigued with winter sowing, and also that they are asking before going ahead. Knowledge can prevent a world of disappointment. “One day” I will look for your list. 🙂
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I would eagerly use some dried cherries in this recipe. I use them in fudge (diced a bit to allow the heat to release their cherry flavor throughout the chocolate) and in oatmeal cookies. This seems like another perfect place for them.
What a beautiful result you achieved and captured in photos so well.
Rhonda Strahler says
My mouth is watering now!! I agree with Beverly, dried cherries are just perfect for this.
Allison says
I mix the maple syrup and oil, a tbsp or so vanilla and some sea salt together then mix this with the oats, unsweetened coconut, seeds, and nuts. I also add flax seed and bran in with the oats. I add all sorts of dried fruit in after baking (250 4 stirs at 15 min intervals). I then use the granola to make granola bread. Used to sell both at my farmers market. The granola is adapted from King Arthur, bread recipe is a Marcy Goldman creation.
Your granola sounds very similar and a lot simpler. I may try coconut oil next time, was using canola. Thanks! Every recipe of yours that I’ve tried has been A+!!
Julie R says
A crunchy healthy snack, sounds good to me. When I make this, I will use honey instead of maple syrup because I have a big jug of honey on hand. I like the idea of making a big bunch of this snack and enjoying it all week long, if I can make it last that long. = )
Susan says
I heart you Kevin and think of you as my online BFF. Thanks for all your great posts.
Sue Smith says
This looks so good. Must buy maple syrup and sunflower seeds. I have the rest on hand. I like the idea of adding flax seed, too.
Cindy says
What is the next best oil to use if I do not have safflower oil?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Cindy – Any flavorless, organic oil will work. (Organic canola oil is easy to find most supermarkets.)
Marye says
I think I shall try some with beer and or vodka…. ha! I love your blog… it brings a smile to my day!
Amy S says
Homemade granola is on my must make recipes for 2016. This recipe looks like it is right down my alley. Adding this to the lineup for freezer / make ahead meals next weekend. Thanks.
Carol Ballard says
Can’t wait until tomorrow to make this. I love granola and this sounds easy–my kind of cooking. Thanks for your great blogs.
Cathy says
I was just saying yesterday that I need a great granola recipe!
Thank you, Kevin!
Pam says
I cook granola in crockpot. Never burns, always comes out perfect, no matter what recipe I use.
Naomi S. says
Kevin, I have been wanting a good recipe for home-made granola. The kind I’v been buying at the store is just too, too sweet for me. I will definitely try your recipe.
But, I tho’t the intro to this post said something about brownies, though. I was excited to see a new brownie recipe. What happened? Was I hallucinating?
Naomi S. says
Oh. Silly me. I was trying to avoid the House and Garden Chores part so I missed the brownie recipe. Nevermind!
Shonna Lee Leonard says
I don’t know what I love most, your recipes or the hilarious way you write them! 😉
I never buy granola, I love making it, and this sounds awesome. Thanks so much once again for sharing, this will be SO delcious!! 🙂
Nancy J says
Wow! I just made the best granola I ever tasted from your recipe. Substituting from my pantry I used coconut oil and for the dried fruit, dates and dried cherries. Thank you, Kevin.
Carol says
Gotta love home-made, oven-toasted granola! This sounds very like a recipe that I use. I love the maple and cinnamon together. I like to add walnuts to the coconut-almond-seed mixture and leave out dried fruit for adding as an option when it’s time to eat.
Ellen says
OMG!!! This is simply the BEST granola ever invented <3 Thank you, Kevin. I, like Nancy above, substituted org. coconut oil and eat it with coconut milk (yes, I like coconut!).
Cindy says
Kevin, I have a grandson with nut allergies. If I didn’t use the almonds do I need to adjust the rest of the recipe for that take away? Or could I use more sunflower seeds which he can eat?
Thank you for a most enjoyable site to read and learn from.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Cindy – If you must omit nuts, just increase another ingredient (or a combination of ingredients) to equal 1 cup. Enjoy!
Diane Richards says
Made this today, loved it. I have never had granola…homemade or store bought. How do I store this? Thank you Kevin!
Sue Smith says
How did I miss this? Looks wonderful. I will make this for sure.
Colleen Thompson says
Very good, but easy to burn even at 325, keep a close eye on it and be sure not to add fruit or berries until it’s toasted.