RECIPE: Begging-to-be-topped-with-berries almond ginger granola
Every sugary cereal graced its presence growing up in the Hayes household (EXCEPT Lucky Charms -- marshmallows in cereal is apparently where the line was drawn), thanks to my dad’s sweet tooth. I myself gravitated toward mainstays like Frosted Flakes, Rice Chex, and Cap’n Crunch. But granola? Eh, not so much.
Since making batch after batch of granola during my first week in pastry school a little under two years ago, I’ve been on a fairly consistent granola-for-my-breakfast routine. The batch size I typically make (and what’s below) is geared toward lasting the better part of a week, but I have been known to like a week’s batch so much that I snack on it at all times of day and run out sooner than planned.
For this granola, it’s a safe, non-polarizing flavor profile assuming you’re okay with ginger. It’s a loose-not-clumpy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, begging-to-be-topped-with-summer-berries granola that I’ve made. Strawberries make it shine, and blueberries get the job done rather nicely, too.
Begging-to-be-topped-with-berries almond ginger granola
Author: Kathleen Hayes; yield: 1 ¾ quarts of granola
MISE IT
Non-liquid ingredients
300 grams rolled oats
90 grams (organic) brown sugar
75 grams almonds, roughly chopped
40 grams pumpkin seeds
30 - 40 grams coconut chips
15 - 20 grams quinoa
3 grams poppy seeds
½ teaspoon(ish) of ground ginger
¼ teaspoon(ish) of cardamom
¼ teaspoon(ish) of cinnamon
4 pinches of kosher salt
Liquid ingredients
100 grams extra virgin olive oil (or a mix of canola and olive oil, totaling 100g)
80 - 100 grams maple syrup (or a mix of agave nectar and/or maple syrup)
Added at the very end of bake time
1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, chopped finely (I will let you decide the level of gingerness you like)
Optional: 2 handfuls of dried cranberries (skip this in the summer when fruit is plentiful)
Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Jacobsen Salt Co.), to taste
Special equipment
MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, add in all your non-liquid ingredients (except the ginger and flaky salt), and mix with a spatula.
Pour in your liquid ingredients and mix with a spatula.
Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, taking the sheet out every 15 minutes to stir the granola and rotate the pan. When you take it out the 2nd time, add the crystallized ginger and bake for 2-3 minutes more.
Once out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let cool.
Store in a sealed container for up to a week.
TWEAK IT
Dial up or dial down amount of crystallized ginger you use.
Swap out different nuts, with pecans or cashews working well.
Try different seeds: golden flaxseed and sunflower seeds are on regular rotation, but I didn’t have them at home this week.
I mention this in the liquid ingredients section above, but experiment with different oils or liquid sweeteners.
The links for equipment above may contain affiliate links, for which I earn a small commission if you buy any of the products that I enjoy and love in my kitchen.