There are a bajillion million granola recipes on the web, but I can’t resist contributing yet another to the pantheon.
What makes this recipe unique is its simplicity — every ingredient is necessary and in perfect balance with the others. I used a generous hand with the pecans, adding plenty of them and keeping the pieces large enough to highlight their luxurious flavor and texture. Slicing whole pecans might seem like an extra step (and by all means, use baking pieces if you’d prefer), but I love the effect here, and encourage you to try it out!
Agave syrup keeps things vegan-friendly, vanilla adds wonderful aroma, and a good amount of sea salt hits just the right salt-to-sweet ratio. And that’s that. No dried fruit, no flax seeds, no bells and whistles.
The last step of this recipe calls for leaving the granola in the oven for a few hours or over night, after you’ve turned off the heat, to allow it to cool completely. This allows it to dehydrate a bit more than if you’d let it cool on the counter right after baking, so it will stay crunchy longer. It also prevents curious beagles from jumping on the counter and eating all of your freshly-baked granola. Win-win if you ask me.
Pecan Granola (printer-friendly version)
Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups whole pecans, sliced into 1/8” to 1/4”-thick pieces
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a large (6-quart) mixing bowl, combine oats and sliced pecans. Set aside.
3. In a small (1-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the canola oil, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and salt.
4. When the mixture just begins to bubble, pour it over the oats and pecans and mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
5. Spread the mixture out onto the lined sheet pan, then place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes total, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even baking.
6. Turn the oven off and leave the granola in the oven. Leave for a few hours or over night, until cooled to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.