Olive Oil and Maple Granola

Today the kids were having grilled cheese on rye with grapes and vegetables.

I decided to top some amazing maple-walnut granola, made from this great recipe, with vanilla yogurt and chopped banana.

My usual granola has been made and loved and made and loved dozens of times.

I needed a little change.

This one is very similar to my standby but it has a few things that set it apart.

It is very crisp and bright in flavour.

I hate, break-your-teeth-hard granola...who wants that, seriously?

This is more of a potato chip crunchy. I love that...(no dental stress.)

Aside from it's great texture, it also tastes so good with all that maple in there.

Oh how I love maple...but that's another story.

Olive Oil and Maple Granola

(food52.com)

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled

1 cup unsweetened coconut chips

1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped (I used walnuts)

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

Coarse salt

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.