Vanilla Maple Granola Cereal

Submitted by Amy in Kansas

"A great recipe using ONLY real food ingredients. Very healthy giving proper fiber, fat, and protein needed to get you through the morning. Adapted from 100DaysofRealFood.com This is enough to fill a Rubbermaid cereal container."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 20-24

ingredients

• 6 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups raw almonds, sliced
• 2 cups raw pecans, chopped
• 2 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 1⁄2 cup ground flax seeds (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup hemp seeds, hulled (optional)
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons real vanilla
• parchment paper

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover two rectangular baking sheets/sheet cake pans with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, seeds and spices together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat the butter and maple syrup together in small sauce pan over low heat. Once the butter melts remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
5. Spread mixture evenly over both prepared pans.
6. Bake for 10 minutes then turn oven off and let granola sit overnight or for 6-8 hours. (you may opt to bake the granola for 75 minutes in a 250 degree oven).
7. The granola will become crisp as it cools at which point you can break it into pieces and store in air tight container for up to 3 weeks.
8. Feel free to add dried fruit of your choice after it has cooled or mix in when eating.
9. Additional options that I have not yet tried are substituting coconut oil for the butter; mixing in cocoa with the maple syrup and butter mixture for a chocolate flavor.