I’ve wanted to make turmeric granola for a while. Last night, I finally got around to it.

Granola is one of my favorite things to bake because it’s so easy. You mix a bunch of nuts, seeds, oats, and sweetener in a bowl, spread it onto a baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and in 30 minutes or less, you have breakfast for a week.

I also like to make granola because it doesn’t *really* require a recipe. Yes, you have to be careful that you don’t add too much oil or maple syrup into the mix. You have to keep the dry and wet ingredients roughly equal so the granola doesn’t get too hard or goopy. But once you’ve made it a few times, you can go by instinct.

Last night, I found a recipe and adapted it to my tastes. I decided to only use maple syrup as sweetener and to add more salt than the original recipe called for. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Salt makes a big difference in baked goods. It balances the sweet and it brings out the other flavors in the mix.

The smell of this granola as it bakes in the oven is HEAVENLY. It’s the equivalent of being wrapped in a fleece blanket by the fire, but the best part is, you don’t have to find a blanket or light a fire. It’s spicy, fragrant, and warming, the perfect combination for a cold winter night when you miss summer and wonder why you don’t live somewhere that’s always 80 degrees.

I might get creative with ground spices the next time I make this granola. The turmeric version is great and it gives the oats a vibrant yellow color, but I could see a garam masala granola having potential.

I served the granola on top of a bowl of honey Greek yogurt with raspberries looked mighty fine for December, but feel free to get creative. The granola would also be good sprinkled on peanut butter toast, in a bowl with milk, or even on its own straight out of a container. I ate pieces straight off the baking sheet last night after it came out of the oven.

Here’s a song that reminds me of this granola. It has a little attitude and that’s not a bad thing.

Turmeric Maple Granola

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt (or less if you are sensitive to salt)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl. You can use a spoon but I like to use my hands.

Once everything is evenly combined, use a spatula to spread the mixture onto the lined baking sheet. You can create clumps by pushing some of the granola together into little mounds and patting it down with the spatula.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown. Stir the mixture a couple times while it’s baking, patting down sections into clumps.

Remove from the oven and let the granola cool on the sheet. Break it up into pieces and store it in an airtight container. The granola will keep for about a week.

Enjoy!