Steph's Maple-Almond Butter Granola Recipe

I searched and searched for just the "right" granola recipe, and I believe this is it! The only sweetener used is 100 % Maple Syrup, which is hardly sweet at all. It is Vegan and extremely good for you!

I went shopping today for the ingredients, and couldn't find everything as I didn't have much time. So I left out the coconut (I could only find sweetened coconut) and the chia seeds (couldn't find them at the store I stopped at). I used whole ground flaxseed meal, which I mixed with the cinnamon and oats. I also used slivered almonds, walnuts, and pecans for the nuts and dried apricots, prunes, and raisins for the fruit. This granola is DELICIOUS, and you should try it! Enjoy!

1/2 C maple syrup
1/4 C coconut oil
1/4 C almond butter
1 T cinnamon (or more if you prefer your granola to have a stronger cinnamon flavor)
2 1/2 C rolled oats  
1/4 C ground flax
1/4 C chia seeds
1/2 C chopped nuts/seeds (almonds, walnuts, pepitas)
1/4 C unsweetened coconut
1/2 C mixed dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, raisins)
liberal sprinkle coarse sea salt

Mix maple syrup, coconut oil and almond butter together. If your coconut oil is at room temperature, you might need to melt it first.
Mix oats, coconut, and cinnamon together, then add to wet ingredients.
Pour onto a baking sheet in an even layer. (I use a silicone baking sheet liner, but you can coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray if you prefer.) Bake at 300 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

 Baked Granola

Immediately upon removing the granola from the oven, add the chia, flax, seeds/nuts and dried fruit.

 Nuts & Fruit 

(The fruit swells and gets sticky in the oven, and raw nuts/seeds retain more of their nutrition.) Add a sprinkle of salt and toss well. The salt really brings out the sweetness and other flavors.

Makes 15 1/4-cup servings!

Stored Granola

Recipe Source