Thank you to the American Pecan Council for sponsoring this post for Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Granola and supporting my work! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s easy to become granola-obsessed if you’re going to college in Vermont like I did. And it started out before school began – my orientation was a five-day backpacking trip through the Green Mountains in Vermont. Which was absolutely beautiful, and a really unconventional way to start out some before-school bonding with my new classmates (having no shower for a week can make you grow really close to people very fast, ha!). But it also meant that our food options weren’t super vast, because we had to carry all our own food. And if you didn’t like what the trip leader had brought for lunch or dinner that day, you were out of luck!
I ended up eating a TON of granola and trail mix on that trip. Once school started, I realized the granola we had brought was freshly made by the dining halls every week, and they would switch up the flavors by season. I’m pretty sure I had granola every day, whether it was breakfast, or a snack with lunch, dinner, or for dessert!
Whenever I was home from college on break, and for years after, I started experimenting to develop my own granola base recipe that I loved that I could switch up with my favorite flavors by season as well. This Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Granola quickly became a family favorite!
Now in my work as non-diet dietitian-nutritionist, I love recommending this recipe for the nutritional punch that pecans pack. Pecans are among the highest in monounsaturated fats (the kind of heart-healthy fat that’s found in olive oil!). They also provide plant-based protein, fiber, flavonoids and essential minerals like copper, manganese and zinc.
Pecans on their own are a great snack right out of the bag (just like this granola!). You can also throw them into a homemade trail mix – which is a really great travel snack you can make-ahead to bring on any car, plane, or train ride.
Want to switch it up even more? Nutrient-dense pecans taste amazing on a bowl of oatmeal, on a yogurt parfait with some fruit, with roasted vegetables (recipe linked for Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts) and even on salads like this Honey Balsamic Salmon with Grilled Peaches & Pecans recipe! And of course, the traditional pecan pie or sweet potato casserole with pecans on top are traditional holiday recipes that can’t be beat.
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups fresh pecan halves/pieces
- ½ cup cinnamon applesauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown or maple sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Mix the oats, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir, making sure everything is coated with the wet mixture.
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn the pan (definitely do this if your oven cooks unevenly!), then bake an additional 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it in the last 5 to make sure nothing browns too quickly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the pan before stirring the granola. It may stick to the pan a little, but if you want big chunks of granola like I do, you don’t want to stir while it’s still warm!
- Serve with milk, over yogurt or ice cream with your favorite toppings! I love this in a bowl of yogurt with sliced banana. Delicious!
Love this Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Granola? Check out more of my favorite recipes with Pecans!
- Honey Balsamic Salmon with Grilled Peaches & Pecans
- Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans & Bacon
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Coconut-Pecan Topping
- Pecan Pie Bars
That looks so delicious! Thank for sharing the recipe, I will definitely try this one right now.
Thank you! Hope you love it!