This holiday season, make everyone happy with a gift of homemade maple nut granola. They’ll think of you every time they take a bite of this delicious topping.
I make a batch of granola every year to give as gifts. The recipes are variations of a recipe from my mother-in-law, who used to give it to us for Christmas every year. This year’s version is maple with pecans, walnuts, and cranberries. I made a test batch in late spring and it was delicious. It lasted in jars for months. We ate the last spoonfuls two weeks ago and I made a fresh batch last weekend.
The granola is delicious sprinkled over cereal, overnight oats, or yogurt in the morning. Use it as a topping for fresh fruit or ice cream. It’s so good, you’ll be tempted to eat it by the spoonful.
This recipe makes a large batch of granola (about 17 cups) for gift giving. If you don’t want to make that much, you can easily cut it in half or quarters.
Tips
This recipe is so adaptable. Here are some suggested changes.
- Substitute the cranberries with golden raisins or another dried fruit.
- If you don’t eat wheat, replace the wheat germ with ground flax.
- Use different nuts. For example, raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) and walnuts make a nice combination with maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 6 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cups raw chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups raw chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup canola oil (or another neutral oil)
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Mix the oats, wheat germ, coconut, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Stir in the maple syrup, oil, and water and mix well.
Spread the granola on three large baking pans with sides.
Bake the granola for 40 minutes, stirring it occasionally. The granola will not be crisp when it is done. You want it to remain soft.
Immediately put the granola back into a large bowl or pan, reserving the baking pans. While the granola is still warm, stir in the cranberries and vanilla.
Spread the granola back onto the baking pans to cool. When it is completely cool, store it in glass jars.
Tie the jars with a ribbon and give this maple nut granola to your loved ones.
Related Posts
Here are some other granola recipes that you might enjoy.