Of all the granola recipes on this blog, this orange-infused granola might be my new favorite. Granted, I’m on an orange kick right now (don’t miss this orzo salad and this green salad). The combination of fresh orange zest, honey, cinnamon, toasted almonds, vanilla and golden raisins is undeniably divine. It reminds me of the flavors I encountered in my celebratory post-cookbook trip to Morocco this spring.
On the solo leg of my trip, I remember spreading homemade orange jelly across pastries in the gorgeous riad where I was staying, feeling both spoiled and lonely. The sights and scents were too beautiful to keep to myself. This granola would be a fun and simple weekend project to make with your loved ones. It would also make a delicious gift for your friends, family or new neighbors. Enjoy it plain as a snack, or add milk or yogurt for a wholesome breakfast.
While we’re talking about granola, I have a tip for you. Don’t over-bake your granola! Properly baked granola will still be a bit soft to the touch right out of the oven, but it will continue crisping up as it cools. If you wait until the granola is dark and crispy before pulling it out, your granola will be dry and taste more toasty than anything else. You’ll lose the nuanced flavors of the spices, nuts and honey or maple syrup. Most of my other granolas are entirely naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. This one includes the usual natural sweetener, plus two tablespoons of regular sugar. Think of the sugar as sandpaper, if you will—you’ll rub the orange zest into the sugar to extract maximum orange flavor. Then you’ll stir the orange zest and sugar combination into the other ingredients for incredible orange-flavored granola. If you were just mixing orange zest into the other ingredients without first mixing it with sugar, you would need a lot more orange zest and you would end up with a lot more bald oranges! Give this trick a try with your other citrusy baked goods and you’ll get more flavor out of them.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats. Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey. Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas for the almonds. Change it up: You can use other dried fruit (chopped if large) for the raisins. Dried apricots or cherries would be really nice here. You can also change up the nuts; pecans are great. Recommended equipment: A Microplane is the perfect tool for removing zest from citrus, and you’ll get the most reliable baking results in a proper half sheet pan. (Those are affiliate links.)
