In a nod to the holiday season, Blackbird pastry chef Nicole Guini packs her chewy go-to granola with festive cranberries, currants, and pecans. It keeps for a couple of weeks, so you can make extra to have on hand for unexpected seasonal guests.
Nicole Guini’s Holiday Granola
Yield:9 cups
Active time:15 minutes
Total time:1.5 hours
2⅓ cups | Rolled oats |
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. | Steel-cut oats |
¼ cup | Pepitas |
1 cup | Pecans |
⅓ cup | Olive oil |
½ cup plus 1½ Tbsp. | Honey |
½ cup | Raw sugar |
½ Tbsp. | Vanilla |
1¼ tsp. | Salt |
⅔ cup | Dried currants |
¾ cup | Dried apricots |
⅔ cup | Dried cranberries or cherries |
![Granola ingredients in a bowl](/wp-content/archive/images/2018/1118/C201811-T-Holiday-Granola-mix.jpg)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine both kinds of oats, pepitas, pecans, olive oil, honey, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
Toss well with a spatula, ensuring oats, seeds, and nuts are evenly coated.
![Baked granola](/wp-content/archive/images/2018/1118/C201811-T-Holiday-Granola-baked.jpg)
Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake until browned, 30 to 35 minutes. (It will be quite soupy once the sugar melts.)
Shake the pan gently every 5 minutes so the honey doesn’t burn, and rotate the pan halfway through baking.
![Breaking baked granola](/wp-content/archive/images/2018/1118/C201811-T-Holiday-Granola-break.jpg)
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scatter the dried fruit over the mixture while it’s still hot, mixing with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the fruit, then let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
Break the granola into smaller clusters with a knife or your hands, or pulse in a food processor.
Serve over yogurt with fruit. It will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.