The Ultimate Granola

I think I'm in love. In love with this granola, that is.



I've been such a huge fan of granola in the past year. My favourite way to start a morning is with a bowl of yogurt, some fresh fruit and homemade granola, drizzled with a bit of honey or maple syrup.

For the past year, I've had this go-to recipe that I loved to make. It was incredibly easy and delicious, with lots of flavour and also very flexible in what you could throw in and swap out. It was a staple in my pantry.



But when I came across this recipe on my friend Tonya's blog, I was instantly intrigued. Steel-cut oats in granola? I'm a huge fan of steel-cut oats when making oatmeal because of its texture, but I wondered how it would work out in granola. I was very excited to try this out.

The result is absolutely amazing. With the maple syrup and honey, what you get is a granola that's almost brittle-like, with big chunks of granola and nuts that makes it easy to munch on on its own. With the added fruit, this is incredibly lovely sprinkled over some yogurt. A must-try for any granola lover!



Steel-cut Granola
Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook

1 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup dry roasted, unsalted almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine both oat varieties, almonds, seeds, maple syrup, honey, olive oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Evenly spread mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Once golden and toasted, remove from the oven and sprinkle the dried fruit and coconut on top of the warm granola. Let cool before serving or storing.

Granola will keep in an airtight container for up to a month.