Have you ever forgotten about something that you used to love and then rediscovered it unexpectedly? This happened to me recently with granola, of all things!
Jump to RecipeI have five sisters and since there are so many of us we do a Secret Sister gift exchange at Christmas where we draw names and each buy for one sister, typically with a theme we all agree on. This past year the theme was ‘snack basket’ and my secret sister did the most excellent job filling my basket with tasty foods, including a jar of granola. I blew through that granola so fast, y’all! So I decided, in typical me fashion, to replace it with a homemade version. That’s the story of how this Maple Vanilla Granola was born.
Now I believe everyone needs a good granola recipe. This stuff is so good! I usually eat it one of two ways: with milk as a bowl of cereal or as a yogurt topping. I love that it’s crunchy and a good mix of sweet and salty.
It’s also really easy to make. You probably already have all the ingredients on hand and it only takes a few minutes to mix up, then about half an hour to bake. It’s ready to eat pretty much as soon as it comes out of the oven and it makes your house smell amazing!
This is the basic version that I make all the time, but you can totally throw in some extras (like nuts or seeds) to customize the recipe to your taste. My next experiment will be to replace the butter with peanut butter and the maple syrup with honey. That sounds like a great ice cream topping to me!
One note: I have not tried this recipe with regular rolled oats. I almost always buy quick cooking oats, so that’s what I used when developing this recipe. You might have different results if you try a different type of oats. If you do, let me know!
Also, I recommend using a baking sheet with a rim around it like this one, if possible. This helps prevent any mess from the granola sliding around and over the edge as you stir.
Other recent recipes:
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 5 tbsp real maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
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Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9×13 baking sheet* with parchment.
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In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in sugar, syrup, vanilla, and salt. Add oats and stir until combined.
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Spread the oat mixture over prepared parchment and bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. The granola is done when it has turned a golden brown and smells fragrant.
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Cool for five minutes, then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
*Use a sheet with a rim around it if available.
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