Holy Moly, I just made the best darn granola.
Basically every day at work I snack on Greek Yogurt. Usually I just add some berries with a pinch of stevia and cinnamon to sweeten, but recently I’ve been craving some crunch.
After scouring the web for new granola recipes, I wasn’t finding anything that suited my needs. I wanted to keep this version low-sugar, but not lose a lot of sweetness and flavor.
In one recipe, I spotted cardamom on the ingredient list and thought that was very unique. Most granola recipes stick to the usuals: maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I love cardamom, but I find it stays in my spice cabinet more often than it should, so I decided to pull it out for this batch of granola.
I like my granola chunky, and I recently learned a great tip from America’s Test Kitchen to help keep it that way.
Don’t stir the granola! Every granola recipe I see says to stir the mixture once or twice throughout the baking time. ATK says for chunkier granola clusters, don’t stir the mixture and just wait to break it up once it is completely done baking.
ATK, you’re a genius…again! My granola turned out chunky – just the way I like it. Now I get spoonfuls of delicious granola clusters with every bite, which is a great contrast against the smooth Greek Yogurt.
It is also packed with spice from the cardamom and cinnamon, so I don’t find myself missing the added sugars that you see in typical packaged granola.
I hope you try this granola. It could quite possibly be the best I’ve ever tasted.
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup raw, unsalted almonds, chopped
- ¼ cup raw, unsalted pistachios
- ⅛ cup sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt*
- ¼ cup real honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins (or any other dried fruit)
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the oats, almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. In a small microwavable bowl add the honey and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the olive oil and vanilla to the honey and stir to combine. Pour the honey mixture over the oat and nut mixture. Stir so that honey coats the oat mixture.
- Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then add the raisins. Carefully stir the granola a few times to break it into desired sized chunks. Allow to cool completely and store in an air-tight container.
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes
be honest – that must have smelled AMAZING coming out of your oven!!!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Haha, I wanted to devour it at about minute 12.
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katie @ ohshineon
DON’T stir the granola? Holy heckballs then what have I been doing?!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
I’m tellin’ you, Katie – it’s life-changing!
Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious!
This looks soooo yummy- I love cardamom! I never thought to put it in granola. Pinning for later- can’t wait to try, thanks!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Yay, thanks Elizabeth! I think it is so yummy in granola! Let me know how you like it.
Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious!
Oh my gosh, it was amazing! I made my own version with coconut flakes, almonds, and coconut oil and posted on my blog about it (with a link to this page for the inspiration- thank you!) Take a look 🙂 http://www.bowlofdelicious.com/2014/03/08/coconut-cardamom-and-almond-granola/
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
YAY! I am so glad you loved it, Elizabeth. I am going to try it with coconut oil and shredded coconut next time, too! How smart.
Emily
Love your tip of not stirring the granola! Gonna give that a try next time! Also, just discovered how wonderful cardamom is in baked goods. Bet it’s delicious in this granola!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Thanks Emily! I make this recipe at least twice a month. I love it so much!