Most of the time, one of my major goals when making granola is to get some nice chunky clusters going on. This olive oil & brown sugar granola transcends that concern entirely. It has more a muesli feel; chock full of nuts and seeds with a nice crunch to it, and the way the brown sugar dissolves into milk makes one want to savor every bowl.
Adapted from Nekisia Davis’ Olive Oil & Maple Granola. This version is less sweet.
Ingredients
Makes about 6 cups
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick-cook kind)
- 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or shredded coconut
- 1 1/4 cups raw pecans, coarsely chopped
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- a pinch or two of coarse salt
Preheat your oven to 300 F (150 C).
In a medium-large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the maple syrup and olive oil until uniformly combined. Then add the syrup and oil and stir it all up until everything is evenly coated.
Spread the mixture evenly across a large cookie sheet, or two small ones, whatever fits better. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir granola with a spatula. Repeat after another 15 minutes. Bake it for another 10-15 minutes after that, being careful not to let it burn, and then remove the pan from oven and allow to cool completely. If you find you want to add more salt, you can sprinkle it on now.
Olive oil & brown sugar granola will keep at room temperature for around a month in an airtight container.