OLIVE OIL, VANILLA, & PECAN GRANOLA

This granola is everything granola should be. It's delicious, a snap to make, and ISN'T filled with butter and tons of sugar, like almost all store bought granolas are.  The basic recipe came from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and when I read it (olive oil! maple syrup! an egg!) I was intrigued and when I made it I was in love.

You start with rolled oats, pecans, vanilla, shredded coconut, maple syrup, and olive oil.

 

Whisk up an egg white. Pour it over everything else.

 

Stir up all that goodness. The egg white adds protein and gives the granola a big cluster texture (Genius, that Smitten Kitchen!).

 

Pour it out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. bake it. Love it.

 

This flavor combination is fantastic. Vanilla and pecans with a taste of coconut that even coconut haters (hello, my family) will love. It's simple and so good. A word of warning: once you make homemade granola, you'll never like store-bought again.

Olive Oil, Vanilla, & Pecan Granola

adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened (or unsweetened, if you prefer) shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 large egg white

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except the egg white. Whisk the egg white until it's frothy. Stir the egg white into the granola mix, coating evenly. Spread it out evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes; halfway through, flip granola over with a spatula. Granola will be golden brown and dry to the touch when ready. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Enjoy!