Description
This homemade crunchy granola is quick and easy to make. Enjoy it in the morning with milk for a healthy cereal alternative, use it as a topping with your favorite yogurt, or snack on it by the handfuls all day long.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup raw almonds, halved
- 1 cup dried apricots, halved (see Note 1)
Instructions
- Prep. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking liner.
- Make coating. Whisk coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl until combined and brown sugar is dissolved.
- Mix in. Add oats, almonds, and apricots (see Note 1). Then fold mixture with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer. Spread oat mixture out on prepared baking sheet into an even layer about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Using a stiff metal spatula, gently press down on the granola with the back of the spatula until very compact (this helps the granola clump together).
- Bake. Bake granola until lightly golden brown throughout (the edges will be slightly darker), 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking to promote even browning. (see Notes 2 and 3).
- Cool. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Use a small offset spatula to loosen the granola from the pan. Break the cooled granola into clusters. Add in dried apricots if they weren’t added in Step 3 (see Note 1).
Notes
- Baking the granola with the dried apricots will dry out the fruit a little bit. I don’t mind this. I also look for plump dried apricots. If you prefer, you can wait to stir in the dried apricots until after the granola is baked and cooled.
- To get large clumps of granola, do not stir during the baking process or until it is completely cooled.
- The granola will not be crunchy when it first comes out of the oven but will crisp up as it cools.
- Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
