Granola is one of those magical dishes that can be endlessly customized to reflect your taste, the season, or to simply use up whatever you have a bit extra of in the pantry. A base of rolled oats is the canvas, and to it, you can add nearly anything your heart desires: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut — even chocolate!
After picking up bag of John Cope’s Dried Sweet Corn, an iconic PA food enjoyed by many families during the holidays, we were inspired by its toasty, nutty crunch, which seemed like the perfect addition to an autumnal granola. The small size and flaky texture of the corn adds just the right enhancement to the other cozy ingredients, including pecans, sunflower seeds, and plenty of warming spices and maple syrup. It’s the best use of a leftover bag of Cope’s Dried Sweet Corn, or maybe the perfect reason to try the product out for the first time! Serve at breakfast with local yogurt or milk, or at dessert atop a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Pennsylvania Autumn Granola
| Yield |
|---|
| Serves 6-8 |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 30 min | 35 min |
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup John Cope’s Dried Sweet Corn
- 1/4 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds, shelled
- 1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds, shelled
- 1/4 cup raw pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- PA yogurt, milk, or ice cream, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, dried sweet corn, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and pecans.
- In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, melted butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir until all parts are well coated.
- Spread mixture onto rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet. Once cooled, stir to break up larger clusters and store in an airtight container. Serve over yogurt, milk, or ice cream.
- Photo and recipe: Dish Works
