Maple Spice Granola

This is a tried-and-true granola recipe. It’s versatile and easy to modify flavor combinations using a variety of fruits and nuts to shift the seasonal focus – think chocolate/cherry, banana/walnut, coconut/apricot and more. This holiday variety uses warming spices and mix of fresh apples and dried cherries, it has a bit of fruitcake quality with it’s cinnamon, citrus, ginger and fruit combo. Great for holiday gifting!

Maple Spice Granola [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup whole flax seeds
• 2 apples, cored & diced
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (or 1 whole vanilla bean, scraped)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, seeds, fruit and dried spices.
2. In a small pot, combine the maple syrup, vanilla, olive oil and lemon zest. Heat lightly on low to combine, never letting this reach near a boil. Remove from heat and add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly to combine. Turn the granola out onto your prepared pans and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
3. To make the perfect clumping granola, bake for 30 minutes rotating once halfway through. Resist the urge to stir! To avoid burning, it’s important that the temperature of the oven is low between 275 – 300°F. Remove once lightly golden and crispy, let cool completely before breaking it into clusters.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/maple-spice-granola-vegan/