This gluten free, guilt-free olive oil granola recipe is one of our favorite things to have for breakfast or an afternoon snack! 

Why is it so good? It's the perfect mix of sweet and savory, the addictive, crunchy goodness keeps us coming back for seconds... and thirds.

We kept this recipe completely gluten free by adding oats (make sure they're rolled, not instant), pecans, a plethora of powerful seeds, dried cranberries (for a chewy, sweet texture) with a dash of salt and pure maple syrup. 

But the shining star in this recipe? The olive oil. We decided to make this granola even healthier by baking it in olive oil - our infused chocolate olive oil. 

THE BEST OLIVE OIL GRANOLA RECIPE

Yield: 4 cups

What you'll need:

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted flax seeds
1/4 cup Queen Creek Olive Mill Chocolate Olive Oil 
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries 

The Method:

Mix the oat, nuts and grains in a large bowl.

Measure oil into the measuring cup and swirl it around before pouring into bowl.

Then measure out the maple syrup in the same, unwashed cup. (The oil will help the maple syrup exit the cup.)

Toss everything together until evenly coated and then pour out into a baking pan. I use a large roasting pan, as it keeps everything contained. A cookie sheet with a lip also works, but you have to stir it slightly more carefully if you use that.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, turning it with a spatula every ten minutes or so. You want everything to be an even golden brown. Add dried cranberries after baking (putting them in the oven dries them out), mix and enjoy!

Have you made homemade granola before? Will you try it with olive oil?
Show us by using #QueenCreekOliveMill