Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola

“Hidden sugars,” I’m sure I’ve said, with sass loaded into my voice, about granola. When I have an opinion, I can get sassy about it — and I’ve been a bit down on granola before. In some ways, rightly so: the store bought kind is usually full of sugar, despite the “healthy” aura granola has compared to other cereals.

But homemade granola deserves a second look. I admit it. There are no hidden sugars when you’re doing the cooking, and even better you can tweak and adjust and make a version that totally fits your tastes.

In this recipe, the only sweetener is maple syrup (the flavor of maple syrup is perfect with oats in the morning). Everything else in the bowl is simple, too: rolled oats, pecan pieces, butter, chia seeds, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add that all to a bowl, mix it up, and toast it — you’re on your way to a delicious morning bowl! Easy peasy lemon squeezey. 🍋

The house and my clothes smelled like maple and cinnamon for a full day after pulling a big tray out of the oven. ✨

Pictured here: Granola, blueberries and banana in my breakfast bowl, topped with milk. BUT we also enjoyed this granola with yogurt (adds great crunch!) and as a desk snack (still have a jar-full for next week!).

Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola

Published February 5, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Yields: 2.5 cups   |    Active Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw pecan pieces

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In the bottom of a large microwave-safe bowl, melt coconut/butter. Add: oats, pecan pieces, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Use a spatula to stir until everything is evenly distributed.
3. Spread oat mixture on prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
4. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight contain. Serve with fruit and milk like cereal, eat plain as a snack, or sprinkle over yogurt for a parfait.
5. Store in an air-tight container.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

When I first discovered baked oatmeal, I was in college and was immediately excited about the dish. An oatmeal that I actually liked! I went home to my mom’s house and told her about my discovery. As I was explaining it to her, she said, “Sounds a bit like cake. “

I furrowed my brow. Cake? I mean sure, it has some similar ingredients. But it is “better for me.” Right? In truth, that version of baked oatmeal was a lot like cake. I think it called for both sugar and flour. But, it also taught me that I can like oatmeal. Baked, it became something that I enjoyed.

I still make baked oatmeal every now and again, adding in seasonal fruits and nuts (like this cinnamon berry pecan baked oatmeal). These days, the main difference is that I sweeten it with maple syrup, honey, or fruit, and use whole ingredients. And while it is a pretty carb-heavy dish, I find that rolled oats do keep me full through the morning until lunch. The other main advantage? One batch lasts us the better half of a week, so breakfast is squared away in the morning for a few days.

With this recipe, I’ve taken the idea of a cake and folded it in: carrot cake baked oatmeal. (Carrot cake — definitely a cake. But it calls for vegetables!) Along with rolled oats, you fold in carrots, raisins, coconut, fresh ginger and even walnuts (I love the crunch these add. If you do not like walnuts, try pecans). All of those together combined to make a pretty hearty oatmeal — one that’s not really cake, but you can imagine it is, while knowing you’re eating something much more nourishing!

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Published January 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 8   |    Active Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup shredded desiccated coconut + 2 tablespoons for topping

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 cup milk

1 cup whole milk yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts + 2 tablespoons for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup coconut.
3. Add egg, honey/maple syrup, melted butter, freshly grated ginger, milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Stir until everything is incorporated.
4. Fold in shredded carrot, raisins, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
5. Spread mixture in an even layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons coconut and chopped walnuts.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until edges of oatmeal begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

Happy holidays! Hoping everyone is having a beautiful day, where ever you are and whatever you are up to. We’re taking it easy, with no fancy plans, aside from maybe making a fresh batch of eggnog. I am so thankful to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the year — time to slow down, get outside (fingers crossed for some warmer weather later this week! 🤞), and even some creative recipe development without the time constraints of the normal work week (been working on lots of videos! Check out this one for homemade loose leaf chai! Also still trying to use up all of the spaghetti squash harvest from the garden). And, eating these gluten-free chocolate pecan thumbprint cookies!

These cookies.

Just almond flour, honey, butter, salt and baking soda combine to make a surprisingly soft but sturdy and satisfying cookie, something I discovered when I made these Paleo chocolate vanilla pinwheel cookies two years ago (2016 seems like so long ago! We had just moved into our house, I remember rolling out the cookie dough next to the wall between our kitchen and dining table. Just a few weeks later, we removed the wall and the house looks about 1,000x better! But I digress...)

Thumbprint cookies — a Swedish treat traditionally made with a raspberry filling - have always looked festive to me. When filled with raspberry jam, they gleam in the light like little gems. But raspberry is a very summery flavor, and my inner chocoholic screamed “ganache!!” and I gave in easily, filling each with a melted 85% Dark Chocolate Lindt Bar.

The result is similar to those chocolate kiss-topped peanut butter cookies we’ve all had at many a Christmas party, but with more delicate flavors. Toasted pecans with chocolate is an unparalleled combo in desserts in my book, one that fills your kitchen with the smells of caramelly nuts and fruity cacao scent.

The cookie dough in this recipe is fairly flexible when it comes to flour. I tested using 1/2 cup gluten-free measure for measure flour (King Arthur flour) in place of 1/2 cup of almond flour and the result was almost the same as using all almond flour. That’s not to say I’ve tested everything! But I’m confident you’ll love these. The dough will crack a bit when you go to make the thumbprints, but that doesn’t impact the cookie much. We’re not going for perfect here — once you add the chocolate and the pecans, they’ll look (and be) absolutely delicious!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

Published December 25, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Yield: 15   |    Active Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

1/3 cup chocolate chips (or a chopped up dark chocolate bar)

1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk briefly to combine.
3. Add melted oil/butter, honey, and vanilla and stir dough with a spatula until a stiff dough forms.
4. Shape cookies: scoop cookie dough by the tablespoonful into the palm of your hand. Shape into a sphere, and then place on a prepared cookie sheet. Using a smaller spoon or you thumb, make an indent in the center of the cookie. The dough may crack a bit around the edges, which is fine; if you like, you can carefully press it together with your fingers.
5. Repeat step 4 until all of the dough is used. Leave at least 1/2 inch between each cookie on the baking sheet.
6. Place cookies in oven on middle rack and bake for 10-13 minutes. Cookies should be golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
7. While cookies cool, make the filling. Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter/oil in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave by heating at 30-second intervals, stirring between each round, or in a double boiler.
8. When cookies have cooled enough to be easily handled, carefully spoon chocolate into the center of each, and place a single pecan half in the center of each. Allow chocolate to set for 10-15 minutes, and then serve or store in an air-tight contain for a week.