Trail Mix Granola

My manager saw that the last video I uploaded for granola got 1.2 million views.  She texted me and said “why aren’t you making a granola once a week!”  So here is part one of my granola series and trail mix granola is on the menu.

Full disclosure, we adapted the original creator of the granola from Minimalist Baker.  You can find her recipe here.  We reduced the amount of coconut oil (side note: I’ve had several people make it with avocado oil and had great results), we added sweetened coconut, swapped out coconut sugar with brown sugar.  And today we’ve added M&M’s in place of the chocolate chips.

When I tell you this is hands down the best granola I am not kidding.  It’s crunchy from the first bite to the last.  It’s a bit pricey to make considering the price of maple syrup, but I’ve just discovered that Costco has a 33 ounce container of maple syrup for only $14.99.  And you could also cut costs by using simple salted peanuts in place of the pecans, cashews or almonds.

Ingredients Needed

• oats (we used quick oats)
• unsweetened coconut flakes
• sweetened coconut flakes
• nuts of choice
• brown sugar
• coconut oil (or avocado oil)
• maple syrup (you could also do half honey and half maple syrup)
• vanilla extract 
• M&M – we used classic

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Trail Mix Granola

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

The base recipe is from @minimlistbaker, but we tweak it each and every time. This week we made this trail mix granola with M&M's and mixed nuts. So good!

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Ingredients

• 3 cups oats (we used quick)
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 cups nuts (we used a combination of pecans, almonds and slivered almonds)
• 1 cup M&Ms
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil*
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well so everything is evenly distributed.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the coconut oil, syrup, salt, and brown sugar together. Stir continuously until the brown sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the warm syrup mixture over the dry ingredients. Using a sturdy spatula, mix very thoroughly until all of the oats are evenly coated and fully saturated. Take your time here — this step helps create those crunchy clusters.

Transfer the granola mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, then press it down firmly into a thin, compact layer. Pressing it flat is key for larger chunks.

Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely on the pan without stirring. This is crucial — do not break it up while warm if you want big clusters.

Once fully cooled, break into your desired chunk size and store in an airtight container.

*Tip: A friend swapped the coconut oil for avocado oil and had amazing results, so feel free to use that if you prefer.

Notes

1/4 cup is 5 WW points, but typically I add 1/8 cup to my yogurt bowls. If you count calories or macros, each 1/4 cup is 149 calories, 7 fat, 16 carbs, 2 fiber and 4 grams protein.

Did you make this recipe?

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Pro Tip: Wet your hands with water to press the granola into a thin sheet.  The granola won’t stick to your hands.