I usually use coconut oil in my granola. I find olive oil a bit over-assertive in baked goods, but then, I have a fairly sensitive palette. Wha...

REgular vegetable oil, like canola, is a good sub, given the price of olive oil. The other flavors in the granola, which I've been making for quite a while via the Melissa Clark version, dominate; the taste of olive oil doesn't really come through that strongly. Sometimes I make it with olive oil, sometimes not, depending on what I've got. You can, however, cut back on the sweeteners. It is quite sweet, and thus halving the brown sugar is hardly noticeable. I'll bet you could easily sub honey for maple syrup, too. This granola tastes delicious but not really maple-y, since cooking tends to drive off the delicate maple taste. I have ready access to syrup from my own woods, but I know how expensive it is.

My batch, just out of the oven, is delicious! I, too, have been disappointed when I have baked with olive oil, but do try it here! If you are using a mild olive oil, you will not taste "olive oil" -- no one would guess it was in there -- and it really does add something special. That and the Maldon salt!

Several others have said they use coconut oil in the comments thread here, so it would be worth a try: http://www.food52.com/blog/2874_nekisia_davis_olive_oil_and_maple_granola But I also don't think the olive oil is very aggressive in this recipe. It adds an understated savory richness to balance out the sweeter ingredients. Either way, let us know what you think!

I'd use grapeseed or other neutral oil to replace some of the olive oil, but leave some in for a less assertive olive oil flavor. Perhaps a 3:1 neutral to olive ratio.