Listen, if you can’t be trusted around an open container of delicious granola, close this window. I’m serious. I don’t want to be responsible for you eating six pounds of granola in one sitting. At first you will love me, but then you will begin to resent me, and soon our relationship will spiral out of control.
If you are the one person still reading, the one with super human will power and an unnatural ability to resist lightly sweetened, perfectly golden oats mixed with toasted pecans and tart cherries, please email me immediately with your secret.
I am addicted to granola. Granola addiction. It’s a real thing. Look it up. I know it’s one of those pseudo health foods, that sounds healthy but when you look on the back they try to pretend that a serving size is like two tablespoons or something. I don’t care. I can’t stop. The one problem I have with it is that it seems to cost about 25 dollars a bag. So, about six years ago I began making my own granola at home. I’ve tried lots of recipes and combinations–granola with sesame, with cashews, with large flakes of coconut (all delicious by the way)–but a few months ago, I stumbled upon THE BEST granola recipe I have ever tried.
It all started when I was about half way through making a batch of granola when I realized that I only had about a cup of oats. After taking a quick look through my pantry at what I did have (steel cut oats), I did what any one of you would do. I googled “steel cut oats in granola?” And you know what? Apparently LOTS of people have been putting steel cut oats in their granola for ages. Whaaaat? No one ever tells me anything! So, I replaced the rest of the oats in my recipe with steel cut oats, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Ever.
In addition to the steel cut oats, the secret to this butter pecan granola recipe is browning the butter and using brown sugar as the sweetener (as opposed to honey, syrup, or some other sweet concoction). This leaves the oats and the pecans slightly caramelized, and is slightly reminiscent of butter pecan ice cream! So yummy.
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 TBS coconut oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/3 cup pecans
- pinch of salt
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine both kinds of oats, coconut, pepitas, pecans, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter over low heat. Continue heating the butter, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter starts to brown. As soon as the butter begins to brown (be careful not to let it burn) remove from heat and stir in tablespoon of coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well coated.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes and stir. Bake another 15 minutes and stir. Bake 10 minutes and stir. Bake 10 more minutes and remove from oven.
- Allow to cool completely, stir in dried cherries and transfer to an airtight container.
I am making this one for sure!! Yummy!!
Be warned, you won’t be able to stop! 🙂
Hi Jess, what does BS in the line (⅓BS coconut oil) mean? Thanks for the recipe can’t wait to try it.
Sorry for the typo! That should have been 1 TBS (tablespoon). I changed it in the recipe. 🙂
We’ve been making granola for years and I always enjoy trying a new recipe. I love granola but the usual one I get has so many raisins and nuts, I like that you can control how much you put in of each type if you make your own. Love the tropical taste also, this looks delicious. I love all their Grains.