Olive Oil Granola

I pretty much worship food writer Melissa Clark. She’s written two cookbooks of her own, in addition to tons of others in collaboration with different chefs. She writes two columns for The New York Times Dining section A Good Appetite, where she shares interesting and delicious recipes, and Restaurant Takeaway, where she re-creates restaurant dishes at home. I love her videos and just find her to be very charming. Watch this one with her and her daughter-it is seriously adorable (and they’re making cake, so of course I love it). Her recipe style is focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients (one of her cookbooks is divided by season-so helpful!), but it’s not like she’s trying to be a “healthy” chef. Her recipes just strike the perfect balance between indulgence and health.

 I’ve made a lot of her recipes multiple times, but none as often as her Olive Oil Granola. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the perfect way to make granola-slightly sweet and slightly salty, with a great flavor from the olive oil and the perfect crunchy, crispy texture. It’s also endlessly adaptable, which is why I’ve included my own version of the recipe below (I just tweaked the original a bit).

If you’re focused on healthy eating, I highly recommend that you check out this blog post by Melissa Clark, where she tests the recipe to see low she can get the sugar and oil (ie, how healthy she can make the granola), without losing it’s essential crunchy, sweet granola-ness. I cut the sugar when I’m making the granola on a consistent basis (like if I’m eating it every day), but this time I hadn’t made it in a while, so I let myself do the full amount of brown sugar and maple syrup. It’s absolutely great for breakfast, (very filling due to the nuts and oil), or for a snack. I eat it with a big dollop of plain or vanilla whole-milk yogurt and sometimes top it with raisins.

Olive Oil Granola (adapted slightly from Melissa Clark)
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I’ve also subbed in pecans)
3/4 almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1/3 cup ground flax seeds (I’ve also used wheat germ)
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup maple syrup (you can cut this down to 1/2 cup to make it less sweet)
1/3 cup brown sugar (I’ve cut this down to 2 tablespoons to de-sweeten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (this has a very strong flavor so make sure you know you like it! Otherwise you can sub in ground nutmeg, ground ginger, or just double the cinnamon)

Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl. Spread evenly on a parchment-covered rimmed baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so. You can eat dry, or as I have it, topped with whole milk yogurt (plain or vanilla), and raisins. Sub in any dried or fresh fruit that you like!

PS-this will make your apartment smell so good. Also, it makes lots of chunks-who doesn’t love granola chunks?

photographs by me

Leave a Comment

  1. I'm definitely bookmarking this. I'm going to need an easy breakfast on the go and keeping it in a mason jar makes it super bus friendly.

    Rebecca {at} Preppy Panache

    Published 1.14.14 · Reply
  2. Alyssa wrote:

    Must pin this! I've been on the hunt for some new, delicious granola recipes!

    Published 1.14.14 · Reply
    • Yay I hope you try it! I think it's the best granola recipe ever 🙂

      Published 1.16.14 · Reply
  3. Bhreagh wrote:

    This looks amazing! I'm definitely saving that recipe and making sometime.
    THanks!

    http://www.bhreaghwho.com
    Bhreagh

    Published 1.14.14 · Reply
  4. Alyssa wrote:

    Yummmm–I love making my own granola!

    Published 1.14.14 · Reply
  5. Kari P wrote:

    I know I say this all the time, but I am SO excited to make this seriously. I feel like you posted this just for me (of course not lol). I've been trying to find healthy alternatives to "desserts" and ether ideas for snacks besides fruits. And just today, I was at Trader Joe's and I picked up granola cereal to add to my plain yogurt and thought it'd be great to make it myself (as I stood in the longest TJ line ever).
    So basically, thanks for this!

    Published 1.15.14 · Reply
    • You're so welcome! I eat it for a dessert a lot, it is a great alternative to the various other really junky things I would be eating instead! So glad you like it!

      Published 1.16.14 · Reply
  6. Oh wow! This looks delish!
    http://www.fashiontruffles.com

    Published 1.15.14 · Reply
  7. So yummy 🙂

    Published 1.16.14 · Reply