Maple Pecan Granola
Rolled oats and pecans pressed into a sheet and baked until they break into thick, golden clusters instead of loose crumbs.
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Written
Method
-
Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
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Whisk together the oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl.
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Add the oats and pecans and fold until every oat is coated and glistening, with no dry patches left in the bowl.
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Turn the mixture onto the sheet and press it firmly into an even layer with a spatula — the harder it’s packed, the bigger the clusters it breaks into once baked.
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Bake without stirring until deep golden at the edges, 35 to 40 minutes.
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Cool completely on the sheet, undisturbed, at least 30 minutes, before breaking into clusters.
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Fold in the dried cranberries once cool.
Notes
The clusters come from two things: pressing the raw mixture down hard before it goes in, and leaving it alone once it comes out. Stir it on the sheet and it bakes up as loose granola instead of the big, snappable chunks; break it up while it’s still warm and the same thing happens from the other direction.
Keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for two weeks. Swap the pecans for walnuts or almonds, or the cranberries for raisins — just add any dried fruit after baking, since it turns leathery and bitter if it goes in with the oats.