Introduction
It all started with a cookie. Specifically, a caraway-oat-pumpkin seed cookie from Saltie, one of our favorite spots in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Heather used to live nearby and became helplessly addicted to the sweet-salty-spiced little treat. One day, inspiration struck: What if we made a wholesome (vegan!) granola with the same flavors as the cookie, rich with olive oil and sweetened with maple syrup and dates? Could it be as satisfying and as I-can’t-stop-eating-this delicious as the original? The result, of course, is this recipe, which will forever be one of Botanica’s granola staples (here’s the other); and the answer, of course, is: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah.
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking!)
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup delicious extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons caraway seeds
- 2 heaping tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- A good pinch of flaky sea salt
- 8 large dates, chopped
- Zest of 1 large orange
- ¾ cup dried mulberries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats and pumpkin seeds. Stir together the maple syrup, olive oil, caraway, chia, vanilla and sea salt in a separate container and then pour it into the bowl of oats. Stir well to combine. Take a taste and see if it’s sufficiently sweet and salty (and if you like a less sweet granola, only add 6 tablespoons of maple syrup). (We may as well mention that the olive oil can go down to 6 tablespoons, too, if lower-fat granola is your thing.)
Spread the granola across the baking sheet. Bake in the upper half of your oven (heat rises!) for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the dates on the granola and give a gentle stir. Bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until toasty and golden.
Once done, remove from the oven and sprinkle the orange zest over top. (The oats will feel soft when you remove them from the oven, but don’t you worry: those beautiful babies are going to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to a large bowl, add the mulberries, and stir to thoroughly incorporate. Once cool, store in an air-tight container (we prefer glass). Eat within two weeks for maximum freshness.
