Recipe from Daniel Humm
Adapted by Sam Sifton
Updated Jan. 19, 2024
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 to 40 minutes
- Rating
- 5(5,671)
- Notes
- Read community notes
At the end of every meal at the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, in Manhattan, guests are presented with a small gift: a jar of granola for tomorrow’s breakfast. It is classic Alpine fare, taken straight from the chef Daniel Humm’s childhood in Zurich. The rolled oats are golden with brown sugar and a hint of maple, with salt and a wisp of olive oil for depth. Coconut chips and shelled pistachios provide a hint of whimsy, pumpkin seeds a leathery crunch. Dried sour cherries peek out from here and there, bits of softness to complete the whole. Best of all, the recipe is simple and bulletproof for anyone with a rimmed baking sheet and an oven, at least if you're careful with the kosher salt. Opinions vary greatly over the amount we call for: a whole tablespoon. For some, that is many teaspoons too many. (For many others it is absolutely perfect.) Season to taste. —Sam Sifton
Featured in: Liquid Nitrogen Optional
Learn: How to Make Ice Cream
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:6 cups
- 2¾cups rolled oats
- 1cup shelled pistachios
- 1cup unsweetened coconut chips
- ⅓cup pumpkin seeds
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- ½cup light brown sugar
- ⅓cup maple syrup
- ⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾cup dried sour cherries
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
296 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 162 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pistachios, coconut, pumpkin seeds and salt.
Step
2
In a small saucepan set over low heat, warm the sugar, syrup and olive oil until the sugar has just dissolved, then remove from heat. Fold liquids into the mixture of oats, making sure to coat the dry ingredients well.
Step
3
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and spread granola over it. Bake until dry and lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring granola a few times along the way.
Step
4
Remove granola from oven, and mix into it the dried sour cherries. Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a storage container. Makes about 6 cups.
Ratings
5
out of 5
5,671
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
robWeeve, author of "You Just Passed Your Dinner"
2 points - 1 tablespoon of kosher salt is insanely over salted. inedible. my next mix, tomorrow, will reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
the other point is when you cook the granola do not be tempted to cook it beyond 45 minutes. at 45 minutes the initial liquids will have dried but the hot granola will still appear to be wet because you are seeing the sugar which has liquefied. if you leave the pan in the oven longer than 45 minutes the sugar will only caramelize and ultimately burn.
Jo
I have made this many times and still find it to be the best granola ever! For those who think the amount of salt is too much, just be sure you are using kosher salt. A tablespoon of it is equal to about a teaspoon of regular table salt. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. I have also made it with different nuts and fruits but find that my family and friends prefer it just as written.
Leslie
I make this recipe often, and love it. I adapted it to make it less sweet (and caloric), and to me it is just as good. In place of pistachios, I used toasted pecans, as I prefer them. I use half the salt, use 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and then less than 1/3 cup of both maple syrup and olive oil (amount approximate - I mostly leave it about 1/2 inch below the top of the 1/3 cup measure). I personally leave out the dried fruit, as I prefer the nut and coconut taste to shine through. Yum!
Marilyn
I gotta say, no wonder it's delicious - it has a lot of sugar in relation to the quantity of oats. I've been using a recipe for granola from America's Test Kitchen that uses 5 cups of oats, 2 cups of nuts, and only 2/3 cup sugar, half of which is maple syrup. It's delicious, too.
ChiaviDiBasso
Sticky dried cherries. I had a lot of trouble chopping the dried cherries into small bits because they are so sticky. I solved the problem by freezing the cherries and then chopping them up in a food processor.
Chris B.
Let's clear this up once and for all. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is less dense than Morton Kosher salt. So Diamond Crystal is less salty per unit than Morton. So to be on the safe side always use Diamond Crystal. I think most pros do already.
I found this out the hard way when I almost ruined a recipe when I couldn't get Diamond Crystal and bought Morton's instead. I threw the box of Morton's right out. Too dangerous to have in the kitchen!
susank57
I make this all the time. I was not a fan of purchased granolas- even the fancy stuff they sell these days. I mix the olive oil, syrup, sugar and salt (a fraction of what is called for) in a heavy glass measuring cup and pop it in the microwave rather than using saucepan on the stove.
maria
I make a granola recipe very close to this one but use coconut oil instead of olive oil and add pecans, sun flower seeds, chia seeds and ground flax seeds to the mix. Yum!
PDX Maus
I also added 1 cup medium shred coconut, which was all I had on hand. It didn't burn. Although you couldn't see the medium shredded flakes, it was definitely a subtle additional flavor. When I made the batch a second time and forgot to add coconut, it wasn't as good. The coconut is definitely needed to balance the flavors.
jmee
I've ditched every other granola recipe now that I've discovered this one. The base recipe accommodates all sorts of variations. I usually use sliced or slivered almonds rather than pistachio nuts because I have them on hand. I leave out the coconut and cherries. And I cut the sugar and salt a bit. I've added cinnamon and a bit of orange juice to great success. It's a fun recipe to play around with and has become one of the more requested items for care packages for my kids.
bluerroses
I love having nutritional info available. It would be a huge help if the portion size was noted as well. For example, it's challenging to figure out the volume of 1/14th of this recipe.
Uviolet
Using sugar/syrup/olive oil gave this granola perfect crunch; my usual recipe uses veg oil and honey and it turns out a lot softer, which my husband doesn't like! I added ground cardamom, which i like with the pistachio/cherry combo.
Amy
My favorite granola--first tasted as a gift after dinner at 11 Madison Park years ago. Have used dried apricots instead of cherries and almonds instead of pistachios but best as written. Very easy to make and it freezes well.
LAV
A delicious base recipe to play around with. I don't see this granola lasting long in our house! Like most folks, I used 1/4 (!) of the sugar and syrup, and it was still plenty sweet. I also used 1 tsp of kosher salt, and will use even less next time. For the final tweak - I used shredded coconut, slivered almonds, organic raisins, and dried cranberries. So easy and fabulous - a true keeper.
Kate
One granola recipe to rule them all
Beth
Way too salty! I made another batch without any salt and combined the two. Now it's delicious!
Marge
Use 1/4 c. Brown sugar instead of 1/2 c. And used kosher salt
Dmj
It’s hard to believe that using 3 cups of oats, rather than 2-3/4, would make any difference to the outcome.
Julianne
Made this following some advice plus requests from my 6 year old. Just oats and coconut. Less than 1/3 c maple syrup and only 1/4 sugar. Heaping tsp diamond crystal kosher salt. Absolutely delish. Seemed to only need 30 mins, perhaps because the pan was less full since I skipped pumpkin seeds etc.
Janice
I substituted pistachios with pecans!Didn't have cherries so added some dates, cinnamon too, and less sugar.
Dom
I've made this and love it, but with two changes: I substitute melted butter for the olive oil, and almonds instead of pistachios...and I cut the salt to 1/2 a teaspoon!
Peggy Polenberg
Best best best granola! Easy, delicious & vegan. And it’s fruit free which my husband prefers.
John
I made this a few times and found it to be (1) utterly delicious and (2) so sweet it burns your throat. This is for snacking and certainly not for cereal. I cut the sugar by a third on one try and found it to be more edible for breakfast. Still, there are better recipes (Mark Bittman) for ordinary morning granola.
Sara
I’ve made this as written many times and it is excellent. I have also left out the brown sugar completely, and it is still sweet enough with the maple syrup. Highly recommend.
Margery
My changes.I omit the sugar and add one tablespoon of honey. I use cashews instead of pistachios. I use one half teaspoon salt instead of kosher salt.No cherries.
Susan
When I first made this, it was waaay too salty. Incapable of throwing it out, I mixed in another batch minus the salt. Delicious and plenty to share. Win-win!
Forkin Brilliant
The best granola is actually Samin Nosrats in her book salt fat acid heat… use maldon seasalt also for the perfect seasoning, the other kosher capers are way too fine.
Joe Ball
I put maple syrup, nuts, shredded, coconut, head salt in the oil when I heated. Then I pour this mixture onto the oats and cook them at 350° for 30 minutes. I had raisins and sometimes chopped dates afterwards but I like the idea of dried cherries.
FRITZ
My granola is similarly simple and is a hit with guests. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla is good) & 1 tsp ground ginger or cinnamon into warmed mixture of 1/3 c coconut oil, 1/3 c each honey and maple syrup. Stir in 1.5 c chopped pecans or pecan-pumpkin seed mix, 1/3 c flaked unsweetened coconut, 2 cups oats; 1/2 c dried fruit optional. Spread on parchment paper, bake 25 min at 325.Olive oil imparts a bit much olive-y notes for my taste; coconut oil complements the coconut flakes.
A McKibben
Lots of oil. lots of sugar. Also quite a bit of salt. Delicious? maybe. Granola, not so much. I will return to the Mother Earth News with some tweaks.
Squeaky
Not interested in comments from people who haven't made the recipe--and are terrified of fat and sugar.
Private notes are only visible to you.