Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil and Maple Granola

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Genius Recipes says: This recipe, adapted very slightly from Early Bird Foods' best-selling Farmhand's Choice Granola, is like muesli after a vampy makeover. Olive oil, maple, brown sugar and coarse salt form a rich, shaggy crust on wholesome innards like oats, pecans, and coconut shards.

Makes about 7 cups

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
  • 1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • Coarse salt
  1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
  3. Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Comments (47) Questions (4)

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17 days ago Deborah Dana

Really loved this recipe. Its a great snack to have at home.

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20 days ago rlsalvati

I've been making this recipe regularly--or religiously--for months. This granola was in the gift baskets we gave out over the holidays, pretty much everyone begged for the recipe. I have it for breakfast almost every morning in the warmer months (I switch to overnight oatmeal in the winter). I do cut down the sugar and maple syrup for our in-house consumption, but stick with the full recipe for gifts. I vary the nuts and seeds according to what we have on hand, but always stick with the maple syrup/salt/olive oil combination. My biggest recipe modification is using my slow cooker rather than baking the granola in the oven--one thing I'm really good at is burning granola in my oven. This granola is yummy, yummy, yummy.

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about 1 month ago Meglion

This might be my granola Holy Grail. It was so straightforward to make,and it is just delicious. I love how the low-and-slow baking makes it really crunchy, and olive oil instead of butter makes me at least feel like I'm eating something healthier. I look forward to experimenting, but as-is, this recipe is phenomenal.

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about 1 month ago DBoldt

Great snacking granola, but I think my favorite may be the much simpler--and more cost effective--recipe for muesli from Susan Feniger's partner at Street:
2 cups rolled oats, 1.5 cups puffed millet, 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, 1 cup whole almonds (roughly chopped), 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (this is key), 1/4 c. flax seeds, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup neutral oil. Toss ingredients together and scoop onto lightly oiled sheet pans. Toast at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then add 1 cup currants and 1 cup chopped dates.

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3 months ago Honeylishuss

Just like everyone else i have played with the recipe. I used hazelnut oil, added buckinis and quinoa

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4 months ago linda stojak

I love this granola! I've made it 5 times now! Its great to give as a gift and my family loves it. I've found that adding cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger give it a great fall flavor. Its so easy and delicious I can't stop eating it!!

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5 months ago SpaCook

Very tasty. I agree with many of the comments that it's sweet, but I don't find it cloying. I am hesitant to alter the recipe, as the genius recipes are generally just too good to mess with. And I think the flavors are very well balanced as they are. The best alternative is to use this as a sprinkle for yogurt rather than to eat it by the bowlful!

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5 months ago daisybrain

All I did was eliminate the brown sugear. It didn't really do anything to the texture or overall flavor. It is just less sweet. Of course, if you like it the way it is then you keep it up.

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5 months ago daisybrain

All I did was eliminate the brown sugear. It didn't really do anything to the texture or overall flavor. It is just less sweet. Of course, if you like it the way it is then you keep it up.

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5 months ago SpaCook

Thanks, I will make that adjustment next time!

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5 months ago SpaCook

Thanks, I will make that adjustment next time!

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9 months ago suzgab

I just made this after a trip to Whole Foods with that great bulk food wall. I decided to make half a recipe, adding a touch of cinnamon and cardamom. I also subbed half of the maple syrup for a organic maple/agave blend, so I wouldn't have so two open syrup bottles, and used Himalayan pink salt instead of kosher salt. I wound up throwing in the other 1.5 cups of oats and a little more salt because it seemed a bit wet and sweet.
Outstanding flavor, easy to make and not to expensive considering it's all organic. It's not clumpy, perhaps since I used less liquid, and it's perfectly sweet for me, although I admit I don't eat much sugar so everything tastes sweet to me.

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9 months ago Phrynosoma

This is truly addictive granola. I added a handful of flax seed and some vanilla. It's absolutely delicious with its crunchy texture and balance of salt, savory, and sweetness.

Linda_cooking

10 months ago Beautiful, Memorable Food

Made it for the second time- this time subbing salted pistachios for the sunflower seeds and a beautiful meyer lemon scented olive oil. Can it keep getting better?

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8 months ago MicronCat

Oh yeah, infused olive oil!!! We just got a new store here and all they sell is various types of olive oils and balsamic vinegars and complementary accouterments. I got a lemon olive oil from them, and it is OUTSTANDING.

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10 months ago triplip

This granola is delicious, but so sweet it tasted like dessert! Not necessarily a bad thing. I think I'd cut down on both sweeteners and give it another try.

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12 months ago mcs3000

Just pulled a big batch out of the oven. Wondrous!

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12 months ago Scribbles

I made the granola this morning - it's really good! I did not use any oil and I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. After about 35 minutes it was a beautiful golden brown with lots of crunch. If you crave the fat go for it but if you want to save those calories it is great without the oil. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!

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12 months ago Heather Crosthwaite

I can't stop eating this...Help!!!!

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12 months ago Themk

This is absolutely delicious - I didn't even like granola before this! Since I had been looking for a non-sweet granola, I decided to use honey instead of maple syrup and it turned out great!

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12 months ago elizabethames

This is the most magnificent granola! I was moved to register (I've been reading and lurking for some time, but have never commented) *just* so I could sing its praises. This knocked my former go-to granola (Molly Wizenberg's delicious Everyday Granola) from its seat at the top after only one batch. Perfect, toasty texture and, as others have mentioned, an addictive sweet-savory taste. Thank you so much!

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about 1 year ago daisybrain

I made this morning with my 9 year old. Granola making is the perfect project for him. He was very happy measuring and then digging his hands in to stir it up perfectly. What was even better was the results. My goodness this is good. We used everything as listed in the recipe and added some walnuts for good measure. The only coarse salt in the house was a Sicilian sea salt. That went in too. While I didn't find the sweetness cloying when I make it again (and I will be making it again) I will add less sweetener. As a plus, some of the edges that didn't get stirred as well became the best granola bars I have ever had and my husband declared it the best granola he had ever tasted. Thanks for a terrific recipe.

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about 1 year ago softpunk

Did my comment about this granola being crazy sweet get deleted? Someone who ate icing sugar from a bowl as a child told me so. I just made a second batch with no sugar or maple syrup and am going to combine the two.

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30 days ago vanessa.b

Does the recipe work as well without the brown sugar or is it needed to help the granola stick?

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about 1 year ago Coco espresso

How about using macadamia nut oil instead of olive? Has anyone tried it?

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about 1 year ago Mulipuli

I made this to bring on a surftrip.
I added 100 grams slivered almonds and 50 grams puffed rice instead of the sunflower seeds. Also used walnuts instead of the pecans.
And since I was out of maple syrup, I used agave nectar instead.
Worked like a charm. Hands down, best granola I've had in my life!
Lots of power for surfing, too!