UnTapped’s Own Maple Granola

One of our in-house athletes, Aliza Lapierre, conveniently is also our in-house contributing chef. She often arrives to the office with any number of outrageously delicious treats. And while maple syrup isn’t always the common thread in these recipes, it’s a safe guess that there’s likely at least a hint of maple.

Aliza’s athletic accolades are impressive as they are lengthy. Her run training is lengthy too, as seen here in her interesting and atypical routine to marathon training. Rest assured she often goes out the door well nourished with a breakfast of Maple Granola. 

A contributor to the #UnTappedKitchen, we caught up with Aliza to see what inspired this recipe, “Fall is here and with that comes shorter days and cooler temperatures. During this season I love to warm our kitchen and fill our bellies with baked goodies. Homemade granola is a fun and easy thing to make because you actually just throw everything together in one bowl, stir, and then dump it on a pan before baking. You can tailor the recipe to what you have in the pantry or to whatever you are craving in the moment, but maple syrup is the key!”

Ingredients:

2 cups regular oats (not quick oats)
4-6 Maple UnTappeds — or — ½ to ¾ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup pecans
½ cup macadamia nuts
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 T melted coconut oil (or oil of choice)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and don’t be afraid to add in more of your favorite ingredients such as fruit, nuts, spices.
Spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, while stirring mixing every 15 minutes. Cook until golden brown.
Allow mixture to cool completely. As the granola cools it will begin to become more of a crunchy texture.
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container and snack and enjoy to your heart’s content!