Maple Pecan Granola is hearty, satisfying and wholesome with way less sugar than most pre-packaged granola. With a few simple ingredients, you’ll be snacking all week! Vegan + Optionally GF
Where would we be without this go-to, anytime breakfast/snack food? It’s not just for granola-loving tree huggers (why yes, that’s me!). This maple pecan granola is such a simple, whole food and is so easy to make at home.
I love to keep the granola jar full at our home. It’s one of those foods that you can pack up and take with you anytime, anywhere. Wholesome and full of nutrients, this snack will get you through that long commute, workout, morning class or 3:00 hunger pang.
Pecans, one of my favorite Southern ingredients, are high in dietary fiber and protein. This particular recipe has a whopping 20g of protein just from the pecans! The rolled oats are whole grain and will keep you full and satisfied until your next meal. I like to eat granola plain, but it’s just as good with your milk du jour or yogurt.
After testing quite a few recipes with varying amounts of sugar, I found that maple syrup does a great job sweetening the granola in this recipe. However, I did add a bit of brown sugar, 3 Tbs., just to give it some added character and depth. It’s still a lot less sugar than most prepackaged granola. If preferred, reduce the brown sugar further or eliminate it altogether.
If you like your granola to form little clusters, simply press the granola in the pan firmly, before baking. After baking, let the granola cool, completely before gently placing it in a storage container.
Diced apricots or golden raisins pair well with this recipe. Gently toss them in after the granola is cool. The clustering will be reduced, but delicious dried fruit will add new level of flavor and sweetness to the granola.
You’ll love how this granola makes your home smell! The long, slow bake means that the aroma of the cinnamon, toasting oats, and pecans will linger. Everyone will wonder what you’ve baked. And everyone will have their hand in the irresistible granola jar.
Maple Pecan Granola
Ingredients
- 3 C Old Fashioned Rolled Oats no instant or quick
- 2 C Pecans rough-chopped
- 3/4 C Shredded Coconut
- 1/4 C Sunflower Seeds hulled
- 3 Tbs Light Brown or Coconut Sugar packed (optional)
- 2 Pinches of Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 C Coconut Oil virgin, unrefined, melted and cooled
- 1/4 C + 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Line sheet pan with parchment paper and set oven at 260F.
- In a mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, pecans, coconut, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a spouted measuring cup, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla bean paste. Stir. You will see separation.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix throughly, ensuring that each, individual dry ingredient gets some wet on it.
- Press the granola into the pan, in one even layer.
- Place the pan in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. Rotate the pan, turn the oven up to 275F, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Do not stir the granola, or clustering will be greatly reduced.
- Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring to a storage container. Doing this will ensure crunchy clusters.
- Store in a covered container, at room temperature, for up to three weeks. Granola can also be frozen for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Alton Brown's Granola Recipe on the Food Network.If you make this recipe, or any others on Vanilla And Bean, be sure to post it to Instagram, notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #VanillaAndBean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Also, if you like my content, please consider sharing it with friends and/or family. Thank you!
My family now insists that we keep a steady supply of this granola in-house at all times. I’ve started pulling out my biggest bowl and doing enormous double batches whenever we run out. I use very dark maple syrup (it tastes more maple-y) and turn on the oven fan at a slightly lower temp. while baking… It turns my house into the best smelling place you’ve ever been and comes out crisp and delicious every time. Thanks a bunch!
Hey Lucy! It’s the same here too! That granola jar is never empty – hehe! Double batches is smart and helps keep work to a minimum… and I’m with you on the dark maple – delicious! I just baked a batch this morning and the house smells SO good! So happy you’re enjoying the recipe and thank you for your note!
New to your site! Made this granola a week ago and making it again today. We all loved it! Thank you.
Thank you for your note Maria! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! This one gets made frequently here.. we love it too! :D
How fun to see this fabulous recipe take on a life of its own! Wow, 3 years after Traci published this, and still evoking comments….Way to go!
This is now my family’s favorite granola! Thanks so much for sharing! :)
Best Granola I have made! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing, Carolyn! :D
Ooooh…I’m a huuuuuge granola lover too, Traci! We make it about once a week and love it on yogurt or sprinkled over peanut butter apple slices…so good! But…I”m with you…my favorite is right out of the jar! Love your recipe…pecans are so flavorful, they must be awesome in this. Can’t wait to make this!
OH…and guess what? I have that exact same little bowl with the sweet bird on it! It’s so special to me because I saw it when I was out shopping with my daughter and just loved it! So, she surprised me and when back out to buy it for me! It’s precious!
Isn’t it the best Caroline? Such a simple, whole food snack. I love how well it holds up… for weeks, if it lasts that long! hehe. The pecans really shine in this recipe. I love the sweet undertones they add. I hope your family loves this as much as we do.
You have that little bowl too? How sweet! Such a sweet gift from your daughter. It was a gift for me too… Such a sweet little dish! xo
I’ve been looking for a Granola recipe. I used to eat it as a child. Looking forward to making this recipe!
You won’t be sorry. This is about the best rendition that I’ve ever made.
Looks delicious! What would you recommend as a substitute for the pecans? Nut allergy in the family. I have been looking for a granola recipe that does not have pecans or any other kind of nut. Thank you,
Hi Mary! You can completely leave the nuts out and add either more oats, coconut or other seeds such as pumpkin or a combination to replace the nuts. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was sooooo good. Made it this morning. Our kitchen smelled delish. Super easy and we had all of the ingredients. Had myself a bowl of still warm granola with Traci’s “Cashew Milk” recipe, also made fresh this morning. Everyone likes it. Will use it on yoghurts, with mylks and for my to make açai bowl this week.
Thanks for the lovely recipe Traci! Am looking forward to my newsletters bringing me other mouthwatering recipes and heaps of inspiration.
xoxo
Melanie
I love it when all the ingredients are just waiting to make something delicious! Thank you for sharing Melanie. And with cashew milk? OMGeeee…. so good! :D
We thoroughly enjoyed…no, make that RAVED over this granola. Traci may have begun with an Alton Brown recipe, but has clearly made it her own. This had the perfect amount of sweetness and by that I mean, not overly so. For the fun of it, I used an old fashioned hand nut grinder like my grandmother used to use for all of her nut chopping. My pecans may have been less coarse than the recipe dictated, and additionally, there was a good amount of the Pecan “powder” that formed. I used all of it, and the Pecan flavor was intoxicating in every bite. Additionally the Coconut oil instead of a typical vegetable oil was brilliant.
Cheers all,
Jeff
I’ll be putting those pecans in the food processor on my next batch of granola. I’ll also keep my eye out for an old fashioned nut grinder. Thank you for the tip! So happy you enjoyed the granola!
Thank you, Traci, for this quick, delicious, wholesome snack! I can’t wait to smell it cooking and have it standing by for nibbling. Keep these jewels coming!