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    Home / Breakfast & Brunch

    5 from 3 reviews

    Stolen Granola

    By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Jun 22, 2010 (updated Jan 20, 2020) / 30 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This homemade granola tastes like a giant, crisp oatmeal cookie, with huge clusters that you can break into whatever size you like. No stirring required! Featured in Food52 Genius Recipes Column and in Genius Desserts. 

    close up of nut topping

    I went to pastry school for two reasons. The first was to learn to make croissants. I had given it a go once or twice, the first time in woodland hills in 100º heat, and the second with spelt flour, and both attempts had turned out less than spectacular: leaden and heavy.

    overhead shot of bowl of granola`

    The second was to collect some killer recipes: the perfect brownie, chocolate chip cookie, ice cream base, etc. My teacher, Claire Legas, a tough cookie (sorry) who had worked at Absinthe, Moose’s and the French Laundry, made it evident that while the former requirement could be met (my croissants turned out flaky and light under her tutelage) the latter never would.

    close up of jar

    In the third week or so, when I asked her if the croissant recipe in our packets was her favorite go-to, she exclaimed indignantly, ‘Of course not! I’m not giving you my recipes!’ During the custard portion of our class, a classmate expounded on the deliciousness of Delfina’s buttermilk panna cotta. ‘Oh, I have that recipe,’ Claire said casually. ‘Can I have it?’ the classmate asked eagerly. ‘No!’ came the reply. ‘Some things you have to work for.’

    dry ingredients being mixed

    When school was over, Claire kindly let me do my internship with her at her new place of work, Cafe Cacao in the Scharffen Berger building. When she had me make the best granola I’d ever tasted, I didn’t even consider asking for the recipe. Instead, I repeated the quantities over and over in my head until I’d committed them to memory, and wrote them down as soon as I got home from work.

    When I emailed Claire a few years later to confess, I feared she would be cross. But instead she said, ‘Good for you! Half the battle is just knowing which recipes to steal.’ Then she told me that the recipe isn’t even hers; she stole it from chef Casey Hayden at Moose’s many years ago. So I plucked up the courage to ask after her insanely flaky pie dough recipe. ‘No,’ she told me. ‘Pie dough is sacred.’

    nuts being stirred

    I’m always wary of recipes that claim to be ‘The Best’, so, while I have never experienced a superior granola in the wide world, I have refrained (barely) from calling it that.

    I will, however, tell you what makes this granola so special:

    1) an unconscionable amount of butter
    2) brown (or unrefined) sugar and maple syrup
    3) a mixture of seasonings (cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, orange zest and a hefty amount of salt) that blend together seamlessly to create fullness of flavor without tasting like one particular thing
    4) large, whole almonds and cashews for crunch, texture and good-for-you-ness
    5) a brilliant baking technique which results in large sheets of crispy, golden granola, almost like a delicate granola bar, which can be crumbled into clumps and clusters

    nuts on a parchment paper on a tray

    Jay and I know it’s summer when we eat fresh berries and stone fruit topped with creamy yogurt and a dusting of crispy, oaty loveliness every morning for breakfast. We take it with us on trips, such as the music camp we'll be at this coming week. It is quick to put together and bake, and it keeps well for at least a month. You will need two rimmed baking sheets and some parchment paper, but this granola doesn’t need to be stirred every 10 minutes like most others, thus it is mostly hands-off.

    nuts on a baking tray

    I’ve made many, many batches of this granola over the years. I've come to tweak it very slightly, reducing the butter from 8 tablespoons down to 6, and the salt from 1 1/2 teaspoons down to 1. It is pretty fabulous as is, but sometimes I switch it up with equally lovely results, adding a bit of chopped candied ginger, wheat germ, or sesame seeds to the mix. Once I browned the butter with a vanilla bean, and this made a gorgeous topping for maple bourbon ice cream. I've included a honey-cardamom variation below. Feel free to go crazy; just don't add any dried fruit before baking as it may burn.

    And unlike Claire, I won’t make you work too hard for the recipe.

    bowl of granola

    For more granola recipes:

    • Maple Bourbon Brown Butter Granola
    • Cardamom Honey Granola
    • Black Sesame Granola
    • Chocolate Granola

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this stolen granola recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    5 from 3 reviews

    Stolen Granola

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    This homemade granola tastes like a giant, crisp oatmeal cookie. It gets big flavor from maple, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, and brown sugar. The baking technique ensures giant clusters of oats that you can break apart with your hands. Unlike most granola recipes, it doesn't need to be stirred as it bakes.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 to 8 servings (makes 3-4 cups).

    Ingredients

    • 2 1/2 cups whole oats (1/2 pound)
    • 1/2 cup whole, raw almonds (2 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup whole, raw cashews (2 ounces)
    • 1/3 cup light brown (or unrefined) sugar (2 ounces)
    • zest of 1 small orange
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon (approx.) freshly grated nutmeg
    • 3 ounces unsalted butter (6 tablespoons / 3/4 stick)
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup (2 ounces)
    • 1 teaspoon salt (yes, 1 teaspoon)

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a second rimmed baking sheet and piece of parchment ready.
    • Combine the oats, nuts, sugar, orange, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt together the butter, maple syrup and salt, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour over the oat mixture, tossing to combine thoroughly.
    • Dump the mixture onto the lined baking sheet, and spread it into a thin sheet no thicker than an almond. Ideally, the edges will be slightly thicker than the center as they will bake faster. Lay the second piece of parchment over the granola, and place the second sheet pan on top, right-side up, making a little granola sandwich.
    • Slide the whole thing into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate and continue baking another 10 - 20 minutes, peeking under the parchment to make sure the edges aren't burning, until the granola is a rich golden brown. It will still be soft, but will crisp up as it cools.
    • Let the granola cool completely in the sheet pan sandwich, then break up and store in an airtight container for up to a month (or possibly more.) Enjoy over fruit and yogurt for breakfast, alone for a crunchy snack, or over ice cream for a decadent dessert.

    Notes

    Adapted slightly from Casey Hayden of Moose’s via Claire Legas.
    VARIATION: Seeded Granola (nut-free)
    Omit the cashews and almonds and use 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/4 cup hemp hearts. 
    Nutritional values are based on one of six servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 9gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 397mgPotassium: 323mgFiber: 5gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 1.3mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2.7mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    top down shot of granola

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara says

      August 15, 2010 at 12:25 am

      I can't believe there are no comments here, yet! This is the best darn granola I've ever had, and it makes it even more special that I get to make it myself (I've made several double recipes:). Thanks for inspiring, Alanna!

      Reply
      • Liane says

        July 26, 2017 at 10:26 am

        I have been using this recipe for a while now ever since I found it on your site. Everyone who eats it loves it and I tell them your great story o "stolen granola".

        Reply
        • Alanna says

          July 26, 2017 at 10:52 am

          Aw, I'm so glad you like the recipe! Thanks for the sweet note. :)

          Reply
    2. alanna says

      August 15, 2010 at 6:25 pm

      You are so sweet - I'm glad you're enjoying the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      January 03, 2011 at 6:45 am

      Thank you for sharing the recipe. However, I'm confused with the recipe. Why is 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup all are 2 ounces?

      Reply
    4. alanna says

      January 03, 2011 at 4:53 pm

      Thanks for the excellent question. The ounce amounts in this recipe are all weight measurements; 1/2 cup of nuts, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of maple syrup all happen to weigh the same 2 ounces.

      Reply
    5. Samantha says

      April 26, 2011 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Alanna,

      This looks delicious! Is it possible to substitute honey instead of maple syrup? Or for the sake of flavors, should we stick with the maple syrup?

      Thank you!

      Reply
    6. alanna says

      April 27, 2011 at 1:04 am

      Hi Samantha,

      I've tried this recipe with agave syrup in place of the maple, with great results, but I have yet to try it with honey. I'm pretty confident that honey would be a delicious and fine substitute, though I've heard that it's sweeter than maple syrup, so you may want to add a touch less (say, 3 tablespoons) and then taste the mixture before you bake it, and add in the remaining tablespoon if you think it wants it. As this isn't an overly sweet granola, I'd wager that even a 1:1 substitute would be just dandy, but there's my thorough answer. ; )

      Please let us know how it comes out. Happy baking!

      Reply
    7. alanna says

      May 06, 2011 at 6:32 am

      Samantha,

      I just baked a batch of this granola with 3 tablespoons of honey instead of the 1/4 cup of maple syrup, inspired by your query. (I also used cardamom in place of the other spices, and omitted the orange zest). It is fantastic, and I've posted the variation above.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Joelle says

      May 23, 2011 at 3:38 am

      I think it was the honey cardomom variety that I got to try last week. It was delicious and of course a massive improvement over the boxed stuff which became incredibly unappealing about a year ago. I made a batch of the original Stolen Granola this afternoon and it's soooo good. It's a nice simple recipe that might have taken me 10 minuets to make (before baking) and I love the texture of the final product. I can't wait to eat it with yogurt for breakfast like I used to.

      Reply
    9. Samantha says

      May 23, 2011 at 5:08 am

      It was DELICIOUS!! Best granola I've ever had! Thanks so much Alanna!! :)

      Reply
    10. alanna says

      May 23, 2011 at 7:49 am

      Joelle - I agree, it is hard to go back to pre-fab granola after knowing how good the homemade stuff can be. I'm stoked that you gave this a go - thanks for the comment!

      Samantha - so glad you liked it! Thanks again for the inspiration, re: honey.

      Reply
    11. Jane M. says

      December 31, 2011 at 4:35 pm

      Oh my! This granola is so delish!! Thank you for posting it.
      With my first try yesterday it turned out chewy, not crispy as I had hoped. I wonder what caused this? I followed your recipe exactly, it was in the oven for a total of 40 minutes. Do you have any ideas?
      The parchment paper I used on the top was foil on one side, parchment on the other. Maybe it trapped too much moisture?

      Reply
    12. Alanna says

      January 01, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Hm, I'm sorry to hear about the chewiness! I'm guessing that it just needs a bit more baking time. Spreading it on an open sheet pan and toasting it in a low oven (maybe 300º) for 10 minutes or so should crisp it up. You can also leave it in a turned-off oven with a pilot light overnight, and that can dry it out.

      If you try it again: be sure to spread the granola thinly all over the baking sheet (see the photo in the cardamom granola recipe - spread it to the edges, rather than how it is pictured here). You may want to give the granola an extra 5 minutes in the oven the first time around, as well (but check it at 40 to make sure it doesn't get too dark).

      Reply
    13. Kristen Whittington says

      October 15, 2013 at 3:49 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I used honey and walnuts and added vanilla and almond extracts. This is by far the best granola I have ever made!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        October 15, 2013 at 9:05 pm

        I'm so glad to hear that! Your version sounds delicious. Thank you for the sweet comment! :)

        Reply
    14. honeydijonay says

      November 05, 2013 at 4:23 am

      no oil!! Lovin' it!

      Reply
    15. Anonymous says

      December 06, 2013 at 2:55 am

      This is fabulous granola. Thank you for making a believer out if me. I had never had much success making granola before.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 07, 2013 at 12:51 am

        Thank you for giving it a go, and for the great feedback! I'm really glad you're liking it. :)

        Reply
    16. June P says

      October 04, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      I never knew granola could taste this good.
      I also added coconut, dried pineapple, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, rolled dates, raisins, and dried cranberries. Then I convected it at 350.
      Fabulous. Thank you very much!!

      Reply
    17. Vida says

      June 25, 2017 at 5:49 am

      This was aaaaaaahmazing. So yummy. Thank you, this will be a staple treat from now until forever!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 28, 2017 at 10:22 am

        Yay! So glad you liked it. :)

        Reply
    18. Melanie says

      March 04, 2018 at 11:45 pm

      I'm excited to try this recipe, but am hoping to make it into granola bars to help get through long days at the office. I've never made granola or granola bars, and am looking for a little guidance. Would you have a recommendation to make into bars?

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        March 06, 2018 at 5:26 pm

        Hi Melanie, If you're new to granola and bars, I would give the recipe a try as-is your first time around. It would take some tinkering to get it to hold together into a bar - it might need extra sweetener and some ground flax or chia seed to stick it together. I'll let you know if I work on it! And let me know if you try the granola - it's still my favorite after all these years. :)

        Reply
    19. Esther says

      July 21, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Can I use vegetable oil instead of the butter?

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        July 23, 2019 at 6:19 pm

        That should work!

        Reply
    20. Vespa Woolf says

      December 01, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      I have made this 3 times and will never use another granola recipe. I love the “sandwiching” method. I don’t have two baking sheets so instead bake the granola with an oblong, glass baking dish weighing it down. Today I was out of nuts so instead used 1 cup of seeds: sunflower, hemp, chia, sesame and a little coconut. Delicious and not too sweet.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 01, 2019 at 5:02 pm

        Aw thank you for the sweet note! I felt the same way about this recipe once I tried it too. So glad you're also a fan! And that variation sounds delicious! I make a similarly seedy version sometimes that I've been meaning to share someday. :)

        Reply
    21. Caitlin says

      April 03, 2021 at 6:31 am

      11 years later and this recipe still blows me away. Heading for our Sunday brunch table along with some yogurt and homemade carrot cake marmalade (until I get a chance to make your new carrot cake)!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        April 03, 2021 at 4:04 pm

        Wow 11 years - crazy!! I'm *so* glad you love this recipe. And hello carrot cake marmalade - that sounds absolutely divine!

        Reply

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