This simple recipe is a delicious Canadian twist on traditional granola made with Canadian maple syrup made by Canadians in Canada. Each year Canadians open their doors to their sugar shacks during sweet Ontario’s Maple weekend

This event gives you a first-hand opportunity to see how maple products are produced, from tree to table, along with the chance to taste and purchase quality maple products. This year I won’t be able to do that due to Covid 19 with Quarantine and all the new social distancing rules but I can still make the choice to buy syrup sourced from local Ontario farmers and make my awesome granola recipe and so can you. I was lucky to meet the family who makes maple syrup in my neighbourhood and the whole family came on weekends to help the grandparents, I feel glad to support local farmers.  I visited Barleyvale Farms where making syrup is a family affair- from tapping trees to gathering buckets, everyone pitches in. Owners, Brian Barkley and Trisha Barkley, began producing maple syrup with Brian’s father, Egerton, in 1974. Brian Barkley is a Registered Professional Forester and his daughter, Erica Barkley is an Ecologist. Visit the website for more information on this amazing farm and how you can score some of their maple syrup.

Here are some of the pictures from my time at the sugar shack

Maple Cookie Granola Recipe

4 cups of old fashion oats

1/2 cup of pecans walnut bits or almonds

1/3 cup of maple syrup

1/2 cup of coconut oil, butter or margarine

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of other spices (nutmeg, cloves, ginger and/or allspice)

1 tablespoon of Vanilla extract

Heat the oil and syrup on low until warmed then coat the oats and nuts over a tray.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes add coconuts and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Wait a half hour until everything cools down break into bits to eat or store for up to 2 months in the fridge.