Meow Recipes: Maple Quinoa Granola

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Crunchy, naturally sweet, with big clusters that stick together for easy bite-by-bite snacking? This is exactly how I like my granola.

Granola is one of those things that always requires a bit of a reminder for me each year.

Remember? Remember granola? Remember how good it is, how versatile, how long-lasting it can be (hello, freezer), how fun for gifting, how easy to make, how nutritious, how delicious for breakfast, and snacks, and dessert?

It’s like every year I forget but I come back around to it with renewed passion as we enter the season where it starts to feel really good to have the oven on and the smells of cinnamon and maple and toasted nuts swirling around the house.

This quinoa granola was brought into my life by the new-ish Well Plated cookbook (affiliate link), and I haven’t been able to get enough of it ever since.

If you’ve never made anything with raw quinoa before, you are in for a crunchy little treat. The quinoa gives a little nutty flavor and an extra-big crunch, along with the chia seeds, and generally gives your mouth a little something to go, ooh, that’s interesting! before being overtaken by the mapley sweet oats and toasty nuts and dried fruit.

How to Serve This Granola

Not like you need any ideas but in case you need some ideas, here’s how I love to eat this granola:

By the cluster. Like, one jumbo mapley cluster at a time, out of the container. I’m just being real with you.
Over yogurt, for breakfast.
With fruit, for a snack.
With milk! Like, cereal style, as a totally normal bedtime treat.
Crumbled over these little individual apple crisps. It sounds like I just made that up, but I definitely have done this.

What a treat – the cozy, nutritious, gloriously yummy simple pleasure of food. That is what maple quinoa granola is all about.

Watch how to make this recipe:

This recipe is republished with permission from The Well Plated Cookbook by Erin Clarke! It’s a super fun cookbook with fast, healthy, easy recipes – this maple quinoa granola being one of my favorites!

Common Questions About Maple Quinoa Granola

How do I store leftover granola?

You can store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or freeze in a plastic bag for up to 2 months.

What combination of mix-ins work best?

Erin recommends these granola combinations in her book:

Almonds and dried blueberries, plus ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract added in with the vanilla extract

Chocolate chips and dried cherries

Pistachios and diced apricots

Pepitas and dried cranberries

How can I make this recipe vegan?

We’d suggest replacing the egg white with a flax or chia seed egg substitute.

Maple Quinoa Granola

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 14-15 servings (1/2 cup per serving)

Print Recipe

Description

Maple Quinoa Granola! Golden, crunchy, naturally sweetened clustery granola with speckles of quinoa, nuts, coconut, oats, chia, and other delicious, good-for-you things!

Ingredients

2⅓ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup raw nuts (a mix of whole almonds and pecan halves is my favorite)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or canola oil
3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg white
¾ cup mix-ins of choice: chocolate chips, dried fruit (such as cranberries, apricots, cherries, raisins, or figs), chopped if larger than a nickel

Instructions

Video

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, quinoa, nuts, coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt with a rubber spatula until combined. Pour in the maple syrup, oil, molasses, and vanilla. Stir to coat, until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
In a small bowl, briskly whisk the egg white with a fork or small whisk until it is foamy. Add it to the granola mixture and stir, doing your best to evenly incorporate the egg white throughout.
Carefully pour the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer, pressing it down with the back of the spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the granola from the oven. With a large, flexible spatula, carefully ﬂip large sections of the granola over, doing your best to keep them intact. With the back of the spatula, press the granola back into a single layer. Rotate the pan 180 degrees, return it to the oven, then bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the granola is golden brown, feels almost dry to the touch, and smells irresistible. It will continue to crisp as it cools.
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Let the granola cool completely on the sheet (no cheating!), then carefully stir in the mix- ins, breaking up the granola as you do. Enjoy with milk, yogurt, overnight oats, over ice cream or frozen yogurt, or on its own by the handful.