I’m a bit of a granola snob. There is literally one brand, and one brand only, that I will purchase at the grocery store. But at about $3.99 per very small box, it can really put a dent in our budget. Especially when my granola-loving kids get their paws on it, too! So what’s a granola-obsessed girl to do? Develop my own homemade granola recipe, of course!

I had a few specific criteria in mind for my homemade granola recipe:

1. Simple — the recipe had to be very simple. I don’t like long lists of recipe ingredients in general, and this is no exception.

2. Easy — simple and easy do not always go hand in hand. While this granola recipe does require some patience and time, it’s easy and hands off. The end result is totally worth it.

3. Flavorful — don’t take the short ingredient list to mean this recipe is lacking in flavor. Each ingredient serves to impart amazing taste and texture that will have you stealing bits from the granola jar all day long.

4. Crispy — soggy granola just won’t do. Don’t skip the oven-cooling step at the end of the directions. It’s what gives this granola that coveted crispy, crunchy texture.

Better Ingredients = Better Results

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, when it comes to simple recipes, it pays to use the best ingredients you can afford. Pantry staples, like rolled oats, pecans, and shredded coconut are all pretty much the same. Buy the store brand if you like; it won’t make much of a difference. Honey is a matter of preference, so just make sure you read the label to make sure it’s real honey with no additives.

But for the love of all things delicious, please DON’T skimp on your butter.

Growing up I thought that butter came in a brown tub and was spreadable right out of the fridge… I’m not the only one, right? I’ve since mended my ways. REAL butter is one of the BEST weapons in a cook’s arsenal, and I will go out of my way to purchase European butter. The flavor and texture is just that. much. better.

Don’t believe me? Pick up a bar of Finlandia Butter on your next grocery shopping trip to see and taste the difference for yourself. The first thing you’ll notice, is that Finlandia butter is a beautiful golden yellow color. And the taste — you can definitely taste the difference when spreading it on baked goods, as well as when you use it in your own cooking and baking. It’s SO delicious and creamy!

Note: you’ll want to take care with your measurements when baking or cooking with Finlandia Butter (or any European butter, for that matter). A standard stick of butter in the U.S. is 8 tablespoons which is equivalent to 8 ounces or 1/2 cup. European butter comes in blocks, and Finlandia Butter is a 14-ounce block, so not quite twice as large as a U.S. stick. Look for the printed guide on the side of the foil wrapper to slice off the amount you need for a given recipe.

How To Make This Homemade Granola Recipe

I’m not kidding when I tell you this is one easy homemade granola recipe. It’s as simple as combining all of the ingredients (just 5!) and spreading them on a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan. Just an FYI: you’re gonna want to use a reeaaaallllly big bowl for this. Then comes the tedious part… the baking process. Bake 15 minutes, stir, and rotate the pans. Rinse and repeat five times.

On the fifth stir and rotation, you’ll put the baking sheets back into the oven and turn it off. Leave them in there to cool slowly for up to 6 hours. This is what produces such lovely, crispy granola!

Once the granola is cooled, you can store it in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Or you can transfer it to a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Even though this recipe makes a huge batch (and you can totally halve it if you want), we go through it long before either of these timeframes. My kids love it with milk, and I eat it sprinkled over my favorite yogurt with some fresh berries almost daily.

But truth be told, I’m just as likely to swipe a small handful for a quick snack throughout the day. It’s irresistible!

Buttery Honey-Pecan Coconut Granola

Yield: 24 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 7 hours 25 minutes

This amazingly easy homemade granola recipe boasts just 5 simple ingredients, each carefully chosen for maximum flavor and texture. So buttery, crunchy and utterly delicious, you won’t be able to keep your hands off of it!

Print

Ingredients

• 2-lbs. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup Finlandia Butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, and coconut. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, melted and cooled butter, and salt. 
3. Combine both mixtures well and pour onto 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper sheets. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the pans and stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color. At the end of the cooking time, turn the oven off but leave the granola inside to cool and crisp up for up to 6 hours.
4. Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Check out the Finlandia website to learn more about their delicious European butter and Finnish cheeses. Register for their newsletter to receive a $1 off Finlandia printable coupon that you can use on your next Finlandia purchase!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Finlandia™. The opinions and text are all mine.