Do you remember that boiled cider syrup we talked about last time? Well, I made something amazing with it. APPLE PIE GRANOLA. This granola tastes like … apple pie. No joke. Robert actually wants to put it ON an apple pie as part of a crumb topping, which is probably a brilliant idea.

Granola is one of my favorite things to make because it is easy and extremely adaptable. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to experiment with the boiled cider syrup, and I was totally right. This granola is awesome. I think it's especially awesome eaten plain with some milk because it allows you to really taste the wonderfulness of it. However, here are some other ideas for how to eat it:

with some yogurt
on top of ice cream (probably with some caramel sauce)
in a wrap with avocado, spinach and fruit
on top of a salad with dried fruit, goat cheese and a balsamic drizzle
on a pizza with that same stuff ^^ !!
as an on-the-go, eat-with-your-hands snack

Like I said, granola is extremely adaptable, so don't let this recipe scare you off in any way. You can substitute just about anything in this recipe and you will be fine. Let me tell you all about it:

If you don't have or don't want shredded coconut in there, leave it out!
Replace the pecans with another nut of your preference. If you only have salted nuts, leave out the salt in the recipe, or at least reduce it by half.
Instead of raw sugar, you could use regular granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Instead of canola oil you could use another neutral vegetable oil, olive oil, butter, or coconut oil. If you use a solid fat like butter or coconut oil, just melt it first.
If you don't have boiled cider syrup, you could substitute honey or maple syrup … but it would be more like Regular Granola instead of Apple Pie Granola. If you choose honey, heat it in a saucepan with the oil to liquefy it first.
Switch up the spices! Use whatever your heart desires, or leave them out.

You could also add in some other stuff. Here are some thoughts:

When the granola comes out of the oven, stir in some dried fruit. Maybe some dried apple slices?!
You could add a few tablespoons of flaxseed meal, some seeds or extra nuts to your dry ingredients.
Maybe some cocoa powder?
You could also stir in some chocolate chips (about 1/2 to a full cup) when it comes out of the oven and they will get all gooey and melty.

Do what you want! #treatyoself

Granola is the best. Make it yours, and have fun. It will make your kitchen smell wonderful.

Photos by Robert Cornelius.
Prints of my illustrations (plus other products with my work on them) are available in my Society6 shop.

APPLE PIE GRANOLA

INGREDIENTS

3 cups old fashioned oats
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup unsalted pecans, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. raw sugar
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup boiled cider syrup
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. each of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 340°F, and prepare a large jelly roll pan or 9x13 inch casserole dish with a piece of parchment paper. Trust me, you need the parchment paper. If you can't use parchment paper, then spray the heck out of your pan.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, pecans and raw sugar. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula or just use your clean hands.
In a large measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the oil, cider syrup, salt, spices and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, and stir everything together with a spatula until the oat mixture is well coated and everything is evenly distributed.
Turn the granola out onto your prepared pan and spread it around. Place in the oven and bake until it has developed a nice golden, toasted color, stirring every 5-7 minutes. This should take about 20 minutes.
Let the granola cool in the pan until it has come to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container. It should last for a few weeks, but you could always freeze half of it for later, as it freezes well.