I started using this combination of ingredients because I wanted a granola that was high in nuts and sesame seeds but lower in fat and sugar than most store-bought granola. We’ve been making this recipe now for years and wouldn’t be without it…when we travel we even take it with us!
Ingredients
5 cups old fashioned oats
3 cups chopped (large pieces) pecans
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 ½ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup flax seeds
¾ cup flax meal
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup walnut oil
1 ½ cups real maple syrup
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well and then add the oil and maple syrup. Pour into a pan.
You’ll see how the oil and maple syrup have a shininess when first mixed and poured into the pan. Take note of this because when that shine is almost gone the granola is almost done.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring frequently – take out BEFORE the nuts turn dark brown…they continue to brown when you take the granola out of the oven.
Stir the granola about every 10 minutes while it’s in the oven. Be sure to scrape it away from the sides of the pan where it will brown more quickly, as well as up from the bottom. Once it’s been in the oven about 30 minutes you might want to stir more frequently as it will start to brown more quickly. Remove it from the oven before the pecans get very brown – once the shininess is gone and it looks a little browner than when you started, remove the pan from the oven. The nuts will continue to toast even after you’ve taken the pan out of the heat since they have a high oil content.
Once the granola is done let it cool before packing it in plastic bags until it’s time to eat it. We love this granola with fat-free Greek yogurt and berries.
You could use walnuts or other nuts instead of Pecans, or otherwise adapt this recipe to suit your taste.
