fully-loaded everyday granola

my favorite way to eat this delicious granola is in a bowl of Greek yogurt, with lots of chopped fresh fruit added, along with a drizzle of honey. it's also fantastic on ice cream.

• 42 ounce* (large) canister old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
• zest of 4 oranges (organic preferred)
• 1 ½ cups extra virgin coconut oil (refined or unrefined; whatever you prefer)
• 2 cups sweetener (any combination of maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, etc. -- I typically use 1 ½ cups brown sugar and ½ cup honey)
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, tart cherries, blueberries, apples, etc., in any combination), chopped if they’re larger than cranberries
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 ½ cup toasted nuts (slivered or flaked almonds, chopped pecans, etc., in any combination)
• ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

preheat oven to 275 degrees F. line two half-sheet pans (or the equivalent of large baking pans) with parchment paper or foil. place oats and coconut in a large bowl and mix. in large (quart size or larger) glass bowl or measuring cup, combine coconut oil, orange zest, sweetener, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, and microwave for about 3 minutes (alternatively, cook over medium-low heat in medium saucepan, stirring constantly, until all sweetener and oil are melted and warm -- do not boil). pour the oil/sweetener mixture over the oat mixture and combine thoroughly. spread out on parchment-lined or silpat-lined half-sheet pans in an even layer and place in oven for 60 minutes, stirring mixture every 20 minutes & rotating pans on shelves for even toasting. it will turn light golden brown near the end, but won’t crisp up until it starts to cool.

while granola is baking, toast each type of nut and/or seed used individually, in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil, until done to your taste -- do NOT allow them to burn! add them to the bowl that held the oat mixture, and add in the dried fruits and combine.
when oats are done, allow pans to cool on wire racks for a few minutes. tip oats into the bowl with dried fruits and nuts and allow to rest and cool for a few more minutes while you clean the baking sheets (if you let it sit in the baking sheets/pans, it really sticks to them and it's hard to get it all out). stir it all together, let cool completely, and then pack into two gallon-size ziplock bags. I always save an oat container from the previous time and pack the ziplocks in the oat containers to keep them intact.

*note: it’s fine to pull out 1-2 cups of oats to use in a recipe before making granola -- it will come out about the same. I usually take out around 1 ½ cups oats to make a batch of oatmeal muffins.

granola sans grains

sometimes I yearn for a spoonful of something sweet, spiced, nutty, fruity & crunchy to go with my Greek yogurt. you know: granola. I've been eating it since I was a young child, having been raised by parents who strongly believed in the health benefits of whole grain cereals. I'm grateful for their concerns about my health, though now I find I feel better not eating grains. when I feel that craving come on, rather than give in to the lure of familiar, tasty oat-based granola, I instead eat this equally delicious and nutrient-dense concoction, which totally satisfies that urge. this grain-free granola is comprised of toasted nuts and seeds, flavored with familiar granola-esque sweetness and spice, and enhanced with your favorite dried fruit thrown into the mix for good measure. try a few small spoonfuls to top your morning yogurt; you won't miss the oats for a second.

• 1-1/2 tablespoons organic, unrefined coconut oil (the kind that smells of delicious coconut)
• 1 cup of raw, whole almonds
• 1 cup of raw, whole cashews (or pieces)
• 1/4 cup raw, hulled sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup pepitas (raw green pumpkin seeds)
• optional: 1/3 cup chopped roasted pistachios (if you use salted pistachios, cut the salt way down or leave it out entirely
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter (I used Kerrygold; if you want to keep it vegan, just use a total of 3 tablespoons coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup honey or 1/2 cup maple syrup; whichever you have on hand/prefer. I used a light clover honey
• 1/3-1/2 cup palm sugar, coconut sugar or brown sugar. I used palm sugar that I shaved off the pressed disc with my knife, so the measurement is not exact, as irregularly-shaped shavings of sugar are hard to measure perfectly without a kitchen scale (I should get one). I had about 1/2 cup of the shaved palm sugar, and after melting it down with the honey, it all told it came out to ~2/3 cup of liquid sugar. feel free to use more or less of the sweeteners (depending on how sweet you like your granola). if you don't have palm sugar, you can use coconut sugar (which is about 2/3 less sweet) or brown sugar (similar in sweetness to palm sugar, but easier to measure -- 1/3 cup would be about right). I chose palm sugar because it's so delicious
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon good powdered cinnamon -- the best you can buy -- or grind your own (I use and love 24 Mantra Organic Cinnamon Powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon or more sea salt (less or none if you use salted pistachios)
• 1/2-2/3 cup of your favorite dried fruit -- I used a combination of dried tart Montmorency cherries and dried blueberries -- about 1/3 cup of each

how you make it: melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat, and toast the almonds and cashews, stirring fairly regularly, until they're almost as dark as you want them. remove skillet from heat and scoop the toasted nuts out into a big bowl. use a stick blender to roughly chop them into irregular shapes. it's fine if some stay whole, and if some get sort of powdered. irregular is good here. you can also pulse them in a food processor a few times, if you prefer -- that will give you a more even texture. I find the variation of large & small pieces more interesting, but you should make this how you want it. put your chopped nuts in a mixing bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients. 

next, melt 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil in the same skillet over medium heat, and start the sesame seeds toasting, stirring constantly. when they're almost a nice golden brown, add the pepitas and toast everything, stirring all the while, until the pepitas pop/puff up. remove from heat and add to the bowl of almonds and cashews. if you're using pistachios, add them to the bowl

now, add the butter and sweeteners to a microwavable glass measuring cup and microwave the mixture in 30-second increments, until melted (alternatively, melt it all in a small saucepan on your stovetop). be careful -- the melted sugar is hot. stir in the cinnamon and sea salt, drizzle it over your nut mixture and stir it all together. let it form clumps -- those are often the best pieces of granola. if you want, you can spread it all out on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F, stirring every 20 minutes, for about an hour, but I don't bother. maybe I should, but it tastes awesome just the way it is, so... I do it my way. whatever you choose to do -- leave it in the bowl, or bake it to crisp it further -- add your dried fruit after that step. choose whatever you have and love to eat. if it's large dried fruit, like pineapple rings or mango, cut it into reasonably-sized pieces. store it in a covered container and enjoy! use it wherever you'd use regular granola -- on yogurt, in a bowl of milk (cashew milk is particularly good here), etc. -- just remember, a smaller serving will fill you up, so adjust your serving size accordingly. this is very nutrient-dense food, just the way we like it.

*note: this recipe is extremely flexible; it's less an actual recipe and more of a framework for you to use whatever kind of nuts, seeds, fruits, sweeteners, etc. that you like. the proportions of the individual ingredients and the cooking technique is what works to make this taste granola-y. feel free to use pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, etc. whatever you like. sliced almonds are a great choice -- their flakiness reminds me of rolled oats. the seeds are flexible as well: you can certainly leave out the sesame seeds if you don't like them (I love their flavor, and also appreciate their nutritive value), or replace the pepitas with sunflower seeds. I recommend that you do use some seeds; they help bind the granola and replicate the feel of grains. the sweeteners are obviously easily swapped, as mentioned in the recipe. and of course, you should spice it however you like. I like pure vanilla and cinnamon, but you may want to add a touch of allspice or nutmeg, cardamom, or the ever-popular pumpkin pie spice. re: the fats -- I love the combination of unrefined coconut oil and grass-fed butter, but you can use either one alone, or try olive oil for a change of pace! and of course, use your favorite dried fruits. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

olive oil granola with fresh cranberries

sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? olive oil in granola? fresh cranberry sauce baked into granola? how? why?

why olive oil? actually, you're food-savvy; you probably heard of it before I did. granola made with extra-virgin olive oil is rich, delicious and deep -- a perfect combination of sweet & a bit salty; totally addictive. there are quite a few recipes going around the interwebz; Melissa Clark's recipe for Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios from the New York Times is excellent, and possibly what started the trend back in 2009. so then, you may ask, why cranberries, Diane, why??? simple: I had leftover fresh cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, and I wanted to use it somewhere I could taste it, because I love cranberries. they're very good in this granola; so good that I made a new batch of cranberry sauce just to refine/test this recipe. of course, if you don't have leftover cranberry sauce hanging around, or if you'd prefer a different berry, you can substitute raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc. -- just use a bit less sugar to compensate for sweeter fruits. you can also leave out the fresh fruit entirely, and just add plenty of dried fruit at the end. you can easily leave out the coconut and/or nuts and it still works; this is one of many delicious variations. by the way, if you've read this far, leave me a comment to let me know. if you can make it through my verbiage, I'll at least name a recipe after you. anyway...

however you make it, I highly recommend you try making olive oil granola. then be prepared to lock it up tight, because it will disappear at an alarming rate. it's that good. this recipe will yield about 6 cups of granola.

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant, not steel-cut -- only old-fashioned rolled oats will work for this recipe)
• optional: 1 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut (I don't like the combination of coconut and cranberries, so I left it out, but I'd definitely use it with just about any other fruit)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey (you can substitute 1 cup maple syrup for the brown and/or white sugars and water, or substitute 1-1/4 cups maple syrup for the sugars, water and the honey)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2-1 cup leftover (or freshly made) cranberry sauce, however much you have
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used reduced-sugar dried cranberries; just about any kind of dried fruit will work here, as long as it's somewhat soft -- no leathery un-sulphured apricots or the like, but just about anything else will work)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 4 ounces toasted nuts, such as chopped pecans, sliced almonds, roasted shelled pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds -- whatever combination you prefer

place the oats (and optional coconut) in a large bowl. combine the brown sugar, white sugar and water in a medium/deep saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. after your sweetener has cooled a bit, whisk in the honey , olive oil, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cranberry sauce, and combine thoroughly. pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees F. pour the sweetener/olive oil mixture over the oats in the bowl and mix in completely. oil a couple of baking sheets and spread the granola out into even layers and bake for 60 minutes or so, until golden brown and crunchy, stirring gently/rotating trays every 15 minutes. remove to racks and allow to cool a bit. n.b. don't let the granola cool in the pans unless you *really* enjoy soaking & scrubbing -- otherwise, tip it out while it's still a bit warm. while still a bit warm, scrape the granola off the baking sheets into a large clean bowl, allow to cool completely, and mix in the dried fruits (and optional toasted nuts). taste for seasoning, and add a pinch more salt or cinnamon if you'd like. whatever you do, don't break up the big clusters of granola that form -- you know those are the first pieces you're going to eat! I don't know why, but they're the most desirable pieces of granola, so let them happen. seriously: every time you break up a cluster of homemade granola, somewhere a tiny kitten cries. so just don't do it. store this granola in large jars in the freezer (it will get stale in the fridge), except for the jar from which you're currently munching -- that can be kept safely at room temperature for at least a few days. if it lasts that long. 

eat over greek yogurt and fresh fruit, with milk, or any way you like granola. I must confess: I ate every bit of this granola plain, pouring myself small cups full as snacks/desserts. it's definitely that good!