Olive Oil Granola

I’ve been a granola binge lately.  It all started with this recipe, which tastes so good (and sweet) that it should probably be topped with vanilla ice cream instead of Greek yogurt. My tastes evolved when I met this granola recipe developed by the guys over at Baked NYC, which quickly became my go-to recipe and earned a spot on Sweetly Seasoned back in September. I made it about a half dozen times, stopping only when I ran through an entire bottle of canola oil.

I scribbled “canola oil” onto my grocery list of essentials, but then I started thinking.  Is canola oil (relatively) good for you? Is there an alternative?

That’s when I found this recipe. It’s unique claim to fame is the use of olive oil, which adds a certain hearty flavor that’s missing from its canola oil cousins. It also substitutes maple syrup for the honey, which I think adds a rich, sweet, caramel-like taste to the finished product.

Still, the original recipe didn’t have all the add-ins that I’ve come to love. That’s when I decided to make a few tweaks to the recipe.  I added some cinnamon to the dry oats mixture and tossed some cranberries and dried cherries in at the end. I was also concerned about burning the coconut, so I left this out at the beginning and stirred it in during the last ten minutes of baking. The result is something sweet, satisfying, and maybe even good for you!

Olive Oil Granola (adapted from this recipe by Nekisia Davis on Food52*)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup coconut chips
• 2/3 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries and tart cherries)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, olive oil, and light brown sugar.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the oats are evenly coated and shiny.
5. Pour oat mixture onto the prepared pan and spread evenly into a thin layer.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring granola every 10 minutes. Add coconut chips during the last 10 minutes of baking.
7. Once granola is evenly browned, remove from the oven and add dried fruit.  Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

*Note: this recipe is cut down in size from the original.