Gingerbread Granola

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups pecans
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup coconut oil (preferably virgin)
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup crystallized ginger (finely chopped)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack set in the center. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Coarsely chop pecans. In a large bowl, combine pecans, oats, pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, and salt.

In a small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, coconut oil, and molasses. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until coconut oil melts, 2-3 minutes. (Mixture does not need to be blended.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour molasses mixture over oat mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until oats are evenly coated. Spread oat mixture into an even layer in the lined sheet pan.

Bake granola, stirring it every 10 minutes, until it’s a shade darker and nuts look lightly toasted, 30-35 minutes.

Let granola stand undisturbed in the sheet pan on a cooling rack until it’s completely cool, 45-55 minutes. Sprinkle crystalized ginger over the top and break granola into large clusters.

Serve granola, or store it in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.