You know those people who rarely speak, and when they do everyone listens? Those quiet people who only speak out when they have something really important to say, and so you know you want to take note, soak it up, and really hear their words?
Yeah, that’s not me. I’m more on the end of talks-too-much-so-most-of-it-must-be-pretty-inconsequential. In fact, the other day, Stacey told me she knew a recipe was mine by the long, overly descriptive title. It’s the truth. And not just in recipe writing. I am a human with a lot to say, and no matter how hard I try to be one of those people that only speaks when I need to like a character on stage, I just keep talking until someone finally stops me and puts the rest of the room out of their misery. 😉
Here’s what you actually need to know about this granola:
- Crunchy
- Sweet
- Vanilla bean flavor
- Rich pistachios
- Nutty coconut
- Big snack-worthy clusters
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Ridiculously good
Got it?
Ingredients
- 5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if applicable)
- 3 cups shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened reduced fat coconut
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- heavy pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup honey or agave
- 2 tbsp coconut butter or coconut oil
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- 1 tsp coconut extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300. Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce, maple syrup, honey/agave, coconut butter, vanilla bean seeds, and coconut extract until well combined, whisking constantly.
- Add the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Divide mixture evenly between your 2 prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until browned and crispy, about 1 hour. Lightly toss granola every 10-20 minutes while cooking. DO NOT skip the tossing--the pistachios can burn easily if you skip this step.
- Cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I’ve never made a batch last any longer than that, but it’s still great a month in!
