Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Heaping ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups quick-cooking/instant oats, such as Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats (do not use regular old-fashioned oats)
- 1¾ cups crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
- ½ cup almonds, sliced or chopped coarsely
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup coconut (optional)
- ½ cup dried cherries
Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large pot, combine the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
Add the oats, rice cereal, almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds (and coconut if you’re using it). Fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake the mixture for about 20 minutes to toast the grains and nuts.
Remove from oven and cool for an hour. Once the pan is cool, add the cherries to the grains and nuts and mix well.
Store in an air tight container. Keeps for months but will eaten in days. ☺