maple pecan cranberry granola

Countdown to Christmas: Day 6

With plenty of days left before things start to get really crazy now’s a good time to make something that will last you the rest of the month.  I always spent lots of money buying granola in the store because I figured it was too hard to make it.  Until I did.  And now I wonder why I wasted so much money buying it.  If you can stir ingredients, you can make granola.  It stores really well in a tightly sealed glass jar for about a month (if it makes it that long).  I also pop some of it in the freezer in a tupperware container, no need to thaw it as it never gets too solid.  Just serve with yogurt & fruit and have a healthy yummy breakfast.

ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups organic rolled oats (not quick cooking, the regular ones)
• 1/4 cup organic golden flax seeds
• 1 cup organic pecans, crushed up
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 2/3 cup maple syrup (Amber grade #3)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup honey (I use the Desert Mesquite one from Trader Joe’s)
• 2 tsp saigon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Next pour all of the dry ingredients in the biggest mixing bowl that you can find.  Stir them around so they’re mingling nicely.  Then add in your maple syrup, canola oil & honey.  Mix it all together with a rubber spatula until everything is coated.

Take out a giant cookie sheet (I use a 12 x 17 one, but the biggest one you have is fine).  You want to spread the granola mixture evenly over the cookie sheet.  If you are using a smaller pan you may need to do 2 batches.

Bake the granola for 25 minutes.  Take it out and stir it with a wooden spoon and then bake for another 15.  Keep a very close eye on it though because it can burn easily in the last 10 minutes of cooking.  

When it’s done take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before breaking it into chunks and storing it.  I like to use it in a parfait of fresh berries, a sliced banana and a bit of plain yogurt.