How to Make Granola
An easy DIY recipe inspired by Marge Granola creator Megan Gordon
The first time we tried Seattle’s small-batch Marge Granola, we knew we couldn’t settle for just a couple bites. Its creator, Megan Gordon, shares her heavenly breakfast secrets in her cookbook, Whole-Grain Mornings (Ten Speed Press, 2013; $22). We played with her granola method to create this crunchy, deeply toasted Test Kitchen blend. You won’t want to go back to store-bought granola after making your own. And at half the cost, you won’t feel guilty about going back for more.
This recipe makes 8 cups of granola on a single baking sheet so you don’t have to worry about rotating pans or extra dishes. We used rolled oats, almonds, and sesame seeds for our dry ingredients, but you can swap in your favorite nuts or seeds like walnuts, chia seeds, or hemp seeds to add healthy fats. Add cinnamon, salt, and cardamom to the dry ingredients before mixing together honey, olive oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Whisk together the liquid ingredients before pouring it over the oat mixture. Stir it well with a wooden spoon or your hands to make sure you don’t have any dry spots or clumps.
Spread the oats evenly on a lined pan before popping it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Stir the granola every 10 minutes to evenly brown and dry the oats. Once the granola is light brown and fragrant, pull it out and let it cool. Your granola will still be sticky and slightly wet when you pull it out of the oven, but it will harden and clump as it cools. Mix in the dried cherries once it’s fully cool.
Eat your granola pooled in milk, by itself as a hearty camping breakfast or trail snack, or sprinkled over thick Greek yogurt or a smoothie bowl. While the homemade granola keeps for up to three weeks in an airtight container, we can’t seem to keep it around that long.
