To make maple granola, toss rolled oats and chopped nuts with maple syrup, oil and a little salt. Bake it at 300°F for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15, then let it cool on the pan until crisp. It's about 10 minutes of work and makes about 4 cups.
The low oven is what makes it work. It gives the oats time to dry out and turn golden all the way through, without the edges getting too dark. Make a batch on the weekend and breakfast is covered for days.
What you need
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola, or melted coconut oil
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, nuts and salt.
- Pour in the maple syrup and oil. Stir until every oat looks glossy and evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture on the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and smells toasty.
- Let it cool completely on the pan, about 30 minutes. It will feel soft while it's warm and crisp up as it cools.
- Break up any big clumps. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Which syrup to use
We'd use Dark here. It's deep and robust and built for cooking and baking, so it's the one to reach for when you want the maple to come through after time in the oven. Syrup gets darker and more robust as the sugaring season goes on. Amber is usually made about mid-season, and Dark comes later.
If you like a softer, caramel-leaning granola, Amber works too. It's warm and smooth, the one that goes on everything. Our maple guide explains how the grades change through the season. Whichever you choose, use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Tips for crunchy granola
- Use plain nuts. Unsalted, untoasted nuts toast in the oven right along with the oats.
- Give it room. Keep the granola in a single, even layer. A crowded pan steams instead of browning, so use two pans if yours is small.
- Stir from the edges in. The edges brown first. Each time you stir, move them toward the middle.
- Trust the cooling. Warm granola feels soft, and it's tempting to bake it longer. Don't. It crisps as it cools. Snacking off the pan is allowed.
- Want clusters? Press the mixture firmly into the pan before baking. Stir only once, about halfway through, then press it flat again. Let it cool completely before you break it into pieces. Expect a few small clusters, not big chunks.
Make it your own
Stir 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in with the oats. Swap the pecans for almonds or pumpkin seeds. Add 1/2 cup of dried fruit, like raisins or chopped apricots, after the granola has cooled, since fruit turns hard and dark in the oven. Coconut flakes can go in for the last 10 minutes of baking. They brown fast.
