Seeded Maple Granola ( Guest Recipe)

My student guest blogger Mandy is at it again with this awesome seeded maple granola!
Seeded Maple Granola
Not ready for the holidays to be over? Savor the flavors and the smells of the holidays with this delicious and satisfying recipe.
Granola can replace that sweet tooth craving with a nutritional semi-sweet crunchy substitution that is guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Choose a variety of nuts/seeds combinations and dried fruit to create this unique topping to yoghurt or a “just because” gift.
Remember, seeds and nuts are the good kind of fat so load up those steel cut oats to create the perfect crunch!
Ingredients:
Yield: approximately 5 cups  
  • 3 cups Quaker oats
  • ¼ cup steel cut oats
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup almonds, walnuts & pistachios, chopped
  • ¼ cup flaxseed
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 TBS ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup dried fruit of choice [cranberries, raisins, banana chips]
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, place a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet.
2. Mix together in a large bowl Quaker oats, seeds, nuts and steel cut oats.
3. Mix together in a medium bowl maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla. Pour mixture on top of the oat mix and stir until everything is coated. Add 1 TB of cinnamon and salt & stir.
4. Spread the entire mixture evenly over the baking sheet and sprinkle the top with 1 TB of cinnamon. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minute increments to make sure all the oats get golden and toasted.
5. Once baking is complete, stir in the dried fruit of your choice & let cool on the baking sheet.
6. Enjoy right off the sheet or save for later. This granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks!
Another awesome recipe from Mandy!