You might think no one needs another granola recipe, and you’re probably right. But then again, I love this more than any I’ve tried — and hopefully you will, too.
It’s packed with healthy Mediterranean fats from a variety of nuts, seeds, and olive oil (don’t worry, olive oil loses its herbaceous flavor once it’s been heated). Freeze-dried berries — such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries — add a splash of color, aroma, and nutrition and are lower in sugar than conventionally dried fruits like raisins or cranberries.
Serve this over yogurt (Greek or regular), kefir, or milk for a nourishing breakfast or a comforting snack.
Mediterranean Granola
Servings: 1/4-cup servings
Calories: 183kcal
Nutty, toasty, crunchy, moreish.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet approx. 13 x 18 inches
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds raw
- ½ cup walnuts raw
- ½ cup hazelnuts raw
- ½ cup pecans raw
- 2 cups traditional rolled oats gluten-free, if needed
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds shelled
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds shelled
- ¼ cup flax seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds raw
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon or more, if you love cinnamon as mcuh as I do
- ½ tsp ground ginger and/or cardamom optional
- a pinch of lemon zest finely grated
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- a few drops liquid stevia optional
- 2 egg whites equivalent to 6 tbsp store-bought liquid egg white in a carton
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract preferably alcohol-free; I like Trader Joe's
- ¼ tbsp salt
- 1 oz freeze-dried berries like these or these
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325℉. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
- With a large chef knife, chop nuts to the desired size (I like them quite chunky - about ¼ inch). To speed things up, using a food processor here is fine, but only pulse three or four times very briefly so you don't end up with nut meal or butter.
- Tip the chopped nuts into a large mixing bowl. Add the oats, seeds, and spices. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In another, small bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, stevia (if using), egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix with a balloon whisk to obtain a smooth, glossy sauce. Pour this over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to ensure all the nuts, grains, and seeds are evenly coated.
- Spread out the mixture evenly on the baking sheet, press it down to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness with the back of a spoon or spatula, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden; set a timer for 15 minutes and rotate the baking sheet by 180° to ensure even baking.
- Take the granola out of the oven when it looks golden around the edges and smells lightly toasted. Leave to cool completely, then break into coarse chunks and mix in the freeze-dried berries. Don't worry- the granola won’t be crunchy while it’s hot, but it’ll crisp up nicely as it cools.
- Transfer to an airtight container. Can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. Can be frozen for optimal freshness.
Notes
Keto: Replace oats with 1.5 cups shredded coconut, replace maple syrup with 1/3 cup allulose (or some other keto sweetener you like) and omit freeze-dried berries. Estimated nutrition content per 1/4-cup serving: 200 calories. 18 g fat and 8 g net carb.
Gluten-free: For gluten-free granola, make sure the oats were processed in a gluten-free facility.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg