This homemade maple pecan granola is great to keep on hand for easy breakfasts, delicious snacking, or fancy yogurt parfaits if you’re entertaining for Sunday brunch. It can be made ahead and stored in the freezer so it’s always ready.
Some things are just so much better than the sum of their parts. This granola is so simple and so healthy, but so addictively tasty. This is definitely one of those recipes that makes you feel so accomplished even though it’s so easy to throw together. Kind of like my Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls, but actually even easier. I made this ahead of time for us to have with DIY yogurt parfaits for Mother’s Day brunch and it was so fun. Kind of like the breakfast version of a make-your-own sundae bar. 🙂 Here’s how to make homemade maple pecan granola!
Ingredients Needed for the Superfood Maple Pecan Granola
You’ll need:
- Old-fashioned large flake oatmeal (quick oats will work as well, but the large look better for this)
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Puffed quinoa
- Flaxseed meal
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
In my opinion, the oatmeal itself is a superfood, but the addition of all the seeds and the quinoa make this a really nutrient-packed start to your day. If you can’t find puffed quinoa locally, you can order it on Amazon here. Also try looking for it, and all the other ingredients at your local bulk foods store, or substitute rice crispies, puffed wheat, or something similar. This recipe is very flexible. 🙂
Method for Making the Homemade Maple Pecan Granola
Making the granola is super simple, but this produces quite a large batch so you end up feeling really accomplished in the end. 🙂 This is perfect for sharing with friends and family or you can store it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
You’ll mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl until everything is well-combined, then you’ll spread it out on a baking sheet and bake it just until everything is golden brown and slightly toasted.
The key to great granola in my mind is getting those big clusters with a little bit of everything stuck together. I love to eat them straight out of the jar, almost like a cookie. This recipe has great clumping potential and you’ll probably find that your clusters end up being little too big and you need to break them up a bit. It’s a good problem to have.
The key to getting the best clusters is to remove the baking tray from the oven and press the entire batch of granola down with the back of a spoon, squishing and adhering everything together when everything is soft and kind of melty. Then you’ll return the tray to the oven to finish baking.
When your baking time is done, you want to allow plenty of cooling time so your clusters can set up and the bonds remain strong as all the sugars from the maple syrup cool. I find at least 45 minutes is usually good, but you can just leave it for a few hours if you want to be really sure. Store your granola in an airtight container at room temperature if you’ll be using it up within a few days, or store it in the freezer for longer.
Here’s the full printable recipe!
This homemade maple pecan granola is great to keep on hand for easy breakfasts, delicious snacking, or fancy yogurt parfaits if you're entertaining for Sunday brunch. It can be made ahead and stored in the freezer so it's always ready.
- 3 1/2 cups Old fashioned, large flake oats
- 1 cup Pecans some chopped pieces, some whole
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup Sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp Ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup Puffed quinoa
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Coconut oil melted
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In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, ground flax, puffed quinoa, salt and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
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Pour the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla over the oat mixture and stir until everything in the bowl is well-coated.
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Pour the oat mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and distribute evenly. The mixture should cover a standard half-sheet to a depth of about 1/4 inch.
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Bake at 350° for about 28 minutes, or until everything is nicely toasted and turns a light golden brown color. For the best granola clustess, remove your baking sheet from the oven halfway through the baking time and press the whole thing down with the back of a spoon to help the clusters stick together.
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When the baking time is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the sheet for about 45 minutes to allow the clusters to set and stick together. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
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