Olive Oil Granola

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If you haven't already figured it out, I'm a huge fan of the salty-sweet combo.  Falling under this category is the olive-oil granola Alicia sent me, the sweetness from the maple syrup is balanced by a bit of kosher salt... it was gone alarmingly fast!  I knew I'd be making it again (and again), but I tried to make it a tad bit healthier to account for how quickly I consumed it.  Alone, on yogurt, with milk... you get the idea.

The result was just as tasty as the original.  I should note that this granola (as I prepared it) doesn't have many clumps/clusters.  There seem to be several thoughts on how to achieve this, but I thought I'd see if anyone has a tried and true method?  Is it in the ingredients or technique?  Chime in!


Olive Oil Granola
adapted from Alicia & the NY Times
Yield ~7c

I adored the pecans in this granola, but feel free to play around and find your favorite combination.  Also, add any dried fruits you like after granola has cooled.

4-5c rolled oats
1 1/4c nuts (I went with a mix of salted pecans and almonds)
1/2c pumpkin seeds
1t kosher salt
3/4t ground cinnamon
1/2t freshly ground cardamom
1/2c grade B maple syrup
1/2c extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 300deg.

Combine dry ingredients (oats through cardamom) in a large bowl and mix well.  Add maple syrup and oil stir until well combined, all the oats should be nicely coated.

Pour granola onto foil-lined cookie sheet (you may need two) and bake for 40-50min, stirring every 10min.  Granola with be toasty and golden when it's done.  Let cool and then store in an airtight container.  Tightly sealed ;)

Do you have a favorite granola recipe?