Earlier this week as my kitchen was engulfed with the toasty aromas of maple syrup and coconut goodness, I thought that making this granola might be worth it for the delicious smell alone. And just when I thought the intoxicating smell was as good as it got, I took a crunchy mouthful of these gluten-free grains and wondered if I had the will power to make them last through the week. This particular recipe should actually last you closer to a month, unless you live with a greedy granola fan like I do. I kept mine in a tupperware container to use each morning for breakfast, but it would also be great to spoon it in to charming little jars for housewarming, hostess, or just-because-I-like-you gifts. Best of all, as long as you seek out old fashioned rolled oats, then this recipe is 100% wheat and gluten free!

You’ll need:

• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup natural, unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup natural, unsalted pepitas
• 1 cup natural, unsalted sliced almonds
• 1 cup natural, unsweetened pecans (either halves or pieces)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• kosher salt

What now?:

• Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees and line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper
• Combine oats, sunflower seeds, pepitas, almonds, coconut and pecans in a large bowl
• Add brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil one at a time and mix well between each addition
• Use a few pinches of kosher salt to season the mixture
• Transfer from bowl to baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven for 45 minutes, stirring the mixture every 10-15 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to a month (if you can keep it around that long!)

Most nuts and seeds will lend themselves well to this recipe, so play around and adjust the measurements until you get the flavour and consistency you like. You could add pumpkin seeds, walnuts, whole almonds instead of sliced, or even omit some ingredients like the coconut. It’s hard to screw this one up!

xo Ali