How to Make the Best Crunchy Nutty Granola - Recipe

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The last couple months I have been tweaking and testing a granola recipe.  After trying various recipes promising crunchy, clumpy, sweet granola I took the best and created this.  I call it Crunchy Nutty Granola.  Not very original, but it does include the most important descriptors.  

To enhance the nuts I chose black strap molasses over honey or corn syrup because it adds complexity and a robust richness.  Not to mention micro nutrients like calcium, potassium  magnesium and iron.  Real maple syrup would also be good, but it costs almost four times as much.  But if you've got maple syrup, by all means use it.

Then I tried different nut combinations.  I decided sesame seeds and flax were out because they got stuck in my teeth.  I enjoyed pecans, walnuts and sunflower seeds.  Then I got a hold of unsweetened, unsulfered coconut flakes and I knew I had my combination.  I spice it up with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla.  
For the fat I tried olive oil, coconut oil and even apple sauce, but ultimately I couldn't do better than butter.  
All these ingredients add up to delicious crunchy, rich, sweet granola that clumps just the right amount. This is a a rather large recipe.  It makes eight cups which is 16 servings.  
I store the finished granola in two quart jars to keep it crunchy and fresh.  Then I try to make it last at least ten days before I make another round.  It's kind of addictive so I keep it out of site.  

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted 

1 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the oats, coconut, pecan, walnut and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.


Melt the butter and mix in the molasses, cinnamon and vanilla.  Pour the butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir to coat.


Divide the granola between two cookie sheets and spread it evenly.  Bake at 200 degrees for one and a half hours stirring every half hour.

Once the granola has baked, spread it out on tin foil to cool.  The cookie sheets will be coated in hard sugar.  Soak them in water and they will clean up nicely.  If after the granola cools it isn't as crunchy as you'd like, you can always put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.  

Try not to eat it all before it cools.  Enjoy.