Back in April, my friend Robyn hosted a granola making party for a few women runners. In addition to providing a huge spread of brunch goodness, she had bulk oats, maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, and most anything you could want for granola-making. She asked each guest to bring a favorite stir-in or two (I brought peanut powder and flax meal), and we rotated batches of granola in the oven while we caught up and feasted on brunch.
Robyn sent us each home with 4 different granola flavors: molasses ginger, chocolate, peanut and flax, and a cherry nut combo. This is my kind of party. Centered on food, with a side of more food. Food party favors even!
This shindig also set off an intense period of granola experimentation. I left wanting to keep tinkering and trying new versions. I’ve made countless batches, all different. Recently, I wondered: would a baklava-inspired version of granola work?
Answer: emphatic YES!
I mean, it’s kind of hard to mess up granola. It’s fast and easy to make. Versatile too. Grab a handful to fuel a run or for a quick snack. Have it with yogurt for breakfast. Or, go big and top it with ice cream and caramel sauce for a pretty decadent dessert.
This is a pretty sticky, chewy, dessert-y version of granola. The browned butter and egg make it a little more cookie-like. If you wanted to go vegan, I’m sure coconut oil or another fat would work just fine. A flax egg could replace the egg, or just omit it altogether for a crispy, less chewy version. Honey is classic for baklava, but clearly we aren’t following any rules here! Maple syrup would probably be a tasty sub. If you try it (as written, or your own version), I’ve love to see a photo and hear about it! Tag @rightasrun on Insta and/or Twitter.
Baklava Granola Recipe
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (about 300 grams)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup pistachios (about 75 grams)
1/2 cup honey (about 180 grams)
1 tsp almond extract
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 egg
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a baking liner. Put the oats in a large bowl. Grind the pistachios in a food processor. In a saucepan on the stovetop, melt butter and stir occasionally until it browns. Be careful to remove from heat before it burns. Stir in the ground pistachios, honey, almond extract, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir the pistachio mix into the bowl of oats. Beat the egg and mix evenly into the granola. Spread the granola onto the cookie sheet into an even rectangle. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool. The granola will look shiny and wet but will dry up a little as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 10 servings.
Nutritional info:
269 calories per serving. 14.5 grams fat. 15.6 grams carbs. 5.5 grams of protein.
p.s. I didn’t want to waste the orange that I zested. A normal person might have just eaten the piece of fruit. But I couldn’t resist improvising a quick caramel/marmalade sauce. I cut out the orange segments and cooked them in some of their juice with a little butter and brown sugar. Pretty over the top, but what can I say? Sometimes you gotta treat yo self!
p.p.s. Check out my little creeper/helper.