Granola - one of the best recipes ever!

Granola lovers, this post is for you!

I learned this amazing granola recipe with my English neighbor Claire, who also got it from her American sister in law. And it´s probably one of my favorite recipes ever - so simple, so full of flavor, so crunchy!

Today I made it for the third time in less than 1 month. We are all addicted to this granola at my home, including my son and other friends who have tried it and now want the recipe.

So no more waiting, here is the recipe:

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cup raw pecan halves
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Mix it all together and bake it in the oven at 150 degrees for around 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until it´s toasted. Remove the granola from oven, season with a bit more salt and let it cool down in the tray before you save it.

And voilá, this is how it looks like:

Very important: as you let it cool down keep stirring the granola, otherwise it will get glued to the tray.

Also make sure that you get a good maple syrup. The reason I say this is because the first time I did the granola the one that I bought was very sweet and overpowering. There are lots of different brands out there, but following my neighbor´s advise, this is the one that I use now:

I personally like the pecans, but if you don´t you can always replace it by other type of nut or dried fruit. Today, for example, I used dried banana and added just a little bit of cinnamon (a very Portuguese flavor!) and worked perfectly.

Next time: walnuts!

Enjoy the granola with milk or yogurt. My favorite way to have is with yogurt and sometimes with fruit as well.