Recipe: Cardamom-Cacao Olive Oil Granola with Pistachios

A batchable breakfast fit for the holidays.

Nov 25, 2024

This granola recipe by Nekisia Davis has long served as the go-to from which all my other granolas originate, but I’ve gotten better and better over the years at tweaking the recipe to accommodate my own preferences (I love the big clumps of granola, and want more nuts and fewer oats and sugar). In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I made a rich version packed with cardamom and cacao that’s designed to go with winter fruits, like pomegranate seeds and even supremed winter citrus. Just trust me: It’s delicious, and if you’ve never made granola before, I promise it isn’t as hard as you think (and makes for the best host gift!).

You will need:

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pistachio nuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1/4 cup chia seeds (this helps the granola stick in clumps)
1/2 cup hemp seeds (I like the flavor and texture)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom (I love these pods, and use this grinder—note you may one to start with 1 teaspoon if you’re not cardamom crazy like I am)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup cacao nibs

How to make it:

Heat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, syrup, oil, brown sugar, salt, and cardamom until well combined. Even though it’s raw and a bit chewy, I taste it at this point to see if it needs more salt or seasoning.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 to 50 minutes total, until the granola is toasted. (It will quickly go from golden to overdone, so keep an eye on it!)
Remove it from the oven and add the cacao nibs (go crazy and add more if you love cacao!), and let it sit for a few minutes, then use a spoon to break it up (if it cools completely on the pan, it will stick).