This granola is one of the reasons my husband married me. It’s the thing he asks me to make every Sunday, so he can eat it for breakfast all week long. It’s good plain, in cold milk, with fruit and yogurt, and on vanilla ice cream with homemade strawberry (or blueberry or plum) jam. It’s hands down the most addictive, crunchy, salty-sweet granola I’ve ever eaten.
But I must give credit where credit is due. I started making this granola after Colin kept coming home with ten dollar bags of Early Bird granola from our neighborhood specialty grocery store. When I saw the price tag I knew I could make it for a lot less money and in larger batches, so he’d no longer buy three bags a week.
Since then, this granola has become such an important part of our lives that I made 40 jars to give away as favors at our wedding. I’ve made a few versions of it for friends without the brown sugar, with honey instead of maple syrup, but this “crack” version continually comes out on top.
The trick to this recipe is the low oven temperature and the constant stirring of the granola so it doesn’t clump together. Every oat gets covered in a golden caramel coating of maple syrup and brown sugar. The almonds get crunchy and salty, and the olive oil peaks through slightly. It’s not greasy, it’s not too sweet, it’s just right.
And when I add other ingredients–like coconut, dried fruit, other nuts, or dare I even say chocolate, Colin and I always agree that the original version, with just six ingredients, always wins.
And that’s why I’ve made this video. It’s an homage to our relationship and the gift of this granola recipe. I hope it gets you through lots of laughs, on-the-go breakfasts, road trips, tough times, weddings, honeymoons, and so much more.
Maple Olive Oil “Crack” Granola (adapted from Early Bird recipe)
3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup of chopped, raw organic almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup of mild flavored olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
Preheat the oven to 300°F
Add oats, chopped almonds, sugar, salt to bowl. Stir to combine. Add olive oil and maple syrup. Stir well.
Pour onto a baking sheet and smooth into even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes. Pull out of the oven and stir with a fork, making sure there are no clumps.
Bake for another 15 minutes, stir.
Bake for final 15 minutes (45 minutes total), remove from oven, stir. Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, but I can promise you it won’t last that long.
