Granola gets a bad rap. That dusty, crumbly stuff you can buy in a box isn’t even the same species as this one, which is rolled in olive oil and a generous dose of flaky salt, chock-full of roasted nuts and seeds, and laden with chewy fruit. It tastes kind of like a really good cookie. Thanks to this big recipe, you will have enough granola to give some away as gifts– or to enjoy for breakfast, snacks, and dessert for at least… well, a couple weeks for normal people, or three days, if you’re me.

This granola, my adaptation of Nekisia Davis’ famous recipe, is about as easy as it gets: throw all the things into a bowl and toss, then spread on a cookie sheet, put the sheet in the oven, toss a couple more times, and you are done. Keep it in an airtight container on your countertop for up to six months— yes, I said six months. But if you can make this last that long, you are superhuman, and should be fitted for your supersuit immediately.

Use any combination of rolled grains, nuts, seeds, and fruits– some great combos: pecan/cranberry, walnut/blueberry, hazelnut/cherry– or use all of them at once. Serve this granola with milk or over Greek yogurt for breakfast or brunch, or over ice cream for dessert. Or just eat it straight out of the jar.

You’ll need:

3 C rolled oats or barley
1 ½ C seeds (pepitas, millet, sunflower seeds, chia, etc.)
1 C unsweetened coconut chips
2 ½ C nuts, whole or chopped
¾ C real maple syrup (GOOD stuff, we’re not talking the fake pancake kind)
½ C extra-virgin olive oil
¼ C brown sugar
2 t vanilla
1-2 t flaky salt
2 C dried fruit

I used pepitas, millet, and chia for the seeds; pecans and hazelnuts for the nuts; and dried cherries, cranberries, and blueberries for the fruit. Feel free to use whatever you like best, just make sure the fruit is nice and plump, not desiccated and dry. If you pick something larger, like apricots or dates, you may need to give them a rough chop.

Turn the oven on to 300F.

Measure all of the dry ingredients into a huge bowl (the biggest one you have).

Add the syrup, oil, sugar, and vanilla, and stir to coat the dry ingredients evenly.

Sprinkle the salt on top and stir one more time.

Spread the granola onto a sheet pan and put it in the oven.

You’re going to bake it for 45 minutes total, stirring or tossing it once every 15 minutes to make sure it browns evenly. If you like your granola clumpier, toss it the first time only, then pat it firmly into the pan, thick on the edges and thinner in the center (so it doesn’t brown excessively on the edges), and don’t toss it again.

After 45 minutes, take it out of the oven and let it cool. It will be softer and stickier while it’s hot, and harden up as it cools down.

Scatter the dried fruit on top, and put the granola into an airtight container.

This roasted granola will keep for up to six months, but it will not be around that long, I promise.

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