Makes about 12 cups This recipe came from one of our former bakers and is a favorite topping for our soft-serve ice creams. It’s crunchy,
nutty, and has the right amount of chew from the dried fruit. It is also perfect with fruit and milk or yogurt for breakfast. Anne has some every morning!
Feel free to substitute other nuts or dried fruits, like chopped dried apricots or dried cherries, to suit your taste. We sprinkle a little Maldon salt over the mixture right before it goes in the oven—it gives the granola a little extra salty crunch—but it’s not necessary.
COOLING TIME: 1 hour
SHELF LIFE: Up to 4 weeks
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups rolled oats (not instant)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
- ¾ cup unsweetened large coconut flakes (aka coconut chips)
- ¼ cup flax seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably grade B, organic)
- ¼ cup honey
- 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed raisins
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and position a rack in the center.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, almonds, coconut, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and salt.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, butter, and vanilla for about 5 minutes until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well coated.
- Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and press to an even thickness.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stir, and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, and then stir in the raisins.
- Transfer the granola to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
