Credit for this wonderful granola really goes to Nekisia Davis, who adapted it slightly from Early Bird Food’s Farmhands Choice Granola. But when Rock Star of the Food World Samin Nosrat published it as the best granola ever, it became famous. In her words “Let me clarify something though: I don’t really like granola to begin with, never have. That’s what makes the fact that I’ve had a bowl of granola every day since I made a batch of this stuff last week even more incredible.”
I thought my husband (who cooks virtually NOTHING ever) would love this cereal, and maybe even be entertained by mixing it up himself. I laid out all the ingredients, measuring cups, etc. and he carefully stirred it all together, looking up once with a grin and crowed “I’m Cooking!!!” So maybe a fun project with the kids? Samin’s only adjustment was to slightly decrease the sweetness and increase the pecans; both excellent ideas I’ve included here. I suppose you could also add raisins or a bit of cinnamon, but you be the judge. Good granola can be very expensive to purchase, and if you buy these ingredients in stores with bulk bins you will have 7 cups of excellent cereal at a modest price.
When my cooking buddy Yvonne asked on the phone what I was making lately, I told her about this. She reminded me that she had brought this same recipe to the desert 2 years ago. Right. Covid brain fog.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
2/3 cups pure maple sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. maldon sea salt, plus more
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, syrup, oil, brown sugar, and 1 tsp. of the salt until well combined.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total, until the granola is toasted. Remove from the oven; season with salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving. The granola can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
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