Coconut Pecan Granola

I realize relatively simple granola seems like a boring thing to post. It's not something that sparks too much excitement on its own. The only reactions I ever have to different types of granola are along the lines of, "I like the dried berries," or "How is the serving size only 1/3 cup?!" It's granola. It shines when combined with other ingredients.

This granola is a different story.

It's just your run of the mill granola in terms of ingredients, but I had no idea how easy it was to make. The honey and coconut are sweet, and the pecans have a nice crunch from being slowly roasted while coated in honey. I added it to a breakfast parfait in the morning and then found myself snacking on it throughout the day plain.

The recipe comes from my mom, who said it "made such a large batch that it lasted for weeks"...mine did not last for weeks. She was right, though, it does make a huge batch. It stores wonderfully in a large mason jar or any sort of jar that can be sealed with a tight lid. You can jazz up the recipe by adding various seeds/nuts and dried fruit at the end, but don't feel the need to change a thing -- simple is a very good thing when it comes to this recipe!

Enjoy!

Coconut Pecan Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or other nuts
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with sides* with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon or sturdy spatula until fully incorporated and all oats are coated. Spread mixture evenly on both baking sheets, breaking up any large clumps. Place in oven for 70 minutes, stirring granola and rotating pans after 35 minutes. Coconut flakes and granola should be toasted.

Loosen granola from parchment immediately after cooking, but leave the granola on the pans until cool.

*Use baking sheets with sides to avoid having the entire sheet of oats sliding off into the bottom of a hot oven.