Here’s a way to eat more delicious food which also happens to be heart-healthy! Just one more example why healthy food and exquisite flavour are not mutually exclusive! An easy one to make with the kids, this recipe can be used as is or merely as a springboard for your own creativity! Know that you will achieve fun, flavour and success adapting this and many other recipes to include the myriad other olive oils, and/or balsamics in our selection! Bon Appetit!
6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup nuts (i.e. – cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia, etc) &/or seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.)
1 cup unsweetened large flake coconut
1 cup dried fruit (i.e. – apricots, cherries, blueberries, dates, raisins, cranberries, etc.) – optional
1/2 cup Olive Us Blood Orange Agrumato olive oil (or Lemon, Persian Lime, Butter Olive Oil, Mandarin, etc.)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (i.e. – Olive Us Himalayan Pink, Lemon Twist, Lime Fresco)
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the first three dried ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium pot set over low heat, or in your microwave, gently warm the honey so that it becomes more fluid. Whisk the olive oil in to the warm honey along with the vanilla. It won’t emulsify, but that’s alright.
Pour the honey-olive oil mixture onto the oat mixture in the bowl and gently mix together to evenly coat. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet & put on middle rack in the oven.
Bake about 10 minutes. Remove and stir, then return pan to the oven. Bake about 10 more minutes then remove and stir the dried fruit (optional) into the granola. Bake about 5-10 more minutes (total bake time is approx. 1/2 hour). Remove and check. When the granola is fragrant and golden brown, remove it from the oven and stir it one last time to ensure even distribution of olive oil and honey.
Allow it to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
Makes approximately 9 cups