Name: Eleven Madison Park’s Granola
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes; 1 cup raw unsalted pistachios, chopped; 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds; 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup pure maple syrup; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3/4 cup dried sour cherries; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Let’s Talk Granola, and Why Eleven Madison Park’s Recipe Is My Home Kitchen MVP

You know, if you’d told me years ago that I’d willingly bake giant pans of granola (and not just buy the super-sweet stuff in crinkly bags), I’d have laughed my head off. But then I stumbled on Eleven Madison Park’s granola recipe—like literally bookmarked it and then totally forgot about it until a rainy afternoon when the kids were acting like wild raccoons. Long story short, we needed snacks; I needed something to do with the oats collecting dust. There may or may not have been a cinnamon emergency that day, too.

Anyway, this recipe just sort of stuck. Now, whenever friends pop by or my partner is grumbling about the “boring old toast” breakfast, I whip out a fresh batch. And the smell? Oh man; if you’ve never walked into a house that smells like maple syrup, toasty oats, and coffee at the same time—you’re missing out. (Oops, forgot to mention that coffee gets involved, but more on that later…)

Why I Always Come Back to This Granola (Even When I’m Cranky)

I make this when I’m just over the pre-made stuff from the store or, honestly, when the weather’s gone and turned foul. The golden, caramelized clusters? Total mood-lifter. My family goes bonkers for this because it’s crunchy but not break-your-teeth hard, sweet without the regret. My youngest claims it’s “just like cookies but for breakfast”—which, come to think of it, is probably a little bit my fault.

I’ll admit, the first time I made it I nearly burnt the almonds—because for some mysterious reason the last five minutes in the oven are like a ticking time bomb. (Don’t wander off. Just trust me.) But you don’t need mad chef skills, and if you mess up, you still get something snackable at the end—like happy accidents in a bowl.

What You’ll Need (And Some Swaps If You’re in a Pinch)

3 cups rolled oats (I’ve tried the quick oats in a panic. Not quite the same, but they work if your in a bind.)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (If you only have shredded, it’s fine. Honestly, my grandma used to swear by Bob’s Red Mill but whatever’s on sale works.)
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds (If you’re feeling thrifty, a mix of whatever nuts are lounging around the pantry will absolutely do… pecans are boss.)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (A handful of sunflower seeds is totally acceptable too. No one’ll know.)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I sometimes use coconut sugar, but it’s pricier than gold, so…)
1/2 cup maple syrup (Good stuff if you can find it, but, eh, agave gets you close in a pinch.)
1/3 cup olive oil (I did try canola once—don’t recommend—it made things taste a bit off.)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or fling in some flaky sea salt at the end, it feels fancy)
3/4 cup dried cherries (I only had dried cranberries once—still tasty, just maybe sweeter)

Alright, Here’s How I Actually Make It

Preheat your oven to 300°F (or 150°C for my friends who avoid Fahrenheit, and if your oven runs hot, knock it down a notch—learned form experience… too-dark oats ain’t cute).
Grab a big mixing bowl. Toss in oats, coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds. Mix it up with your hand or a spoon. This is where, honestly, I always spill at least a few oats on the counter. Accept it.
Add the brown sugar, salt, and give it another toss. Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over the top. Stir until everything looks vaguely shiny and wet – but not sopping. This is where I sneak a taste (don’t judge, raw oats never killed anyone— probably).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola mix evenly. It always piles higher in the middle, so smoosh it flat if you can.
Bake for 35-40 min, stirring every 15 min—unless you forget, in which case just do your best. Watch those edges! They darken like my patience at 5 PM on a school night.
Pull it out when golden and your kitchen smells like a breakfast bakery. It will seem soft – resist the urge to keep baking. It’ll crisp up as it cools (I didn’t believe this at first either…)
Once it’s cool, shake in the dried cherries. Or don’t – eating it warm, straight off the tray, is power move. But do let it finish cooling before storing, or else it goes soggy and sad.

What I’ve Learned (And, Yeah, Goofs to Avoid)

Letting it cool fully = crunchier clusters. Trust me, once I got impatient and ended up with a limp pile. Still edible, just… not Instagram-worthy.
I used to break up the clusters right away, but actually, if you leave them alone while cooling, you get those huge, satisfying pieces.
Don’t skip the parchment, cleaning that tray is not my idea of a good time.

Ways I’ve Switched It Up (Plus One Weird Miss)

So, I tried adding chocolate chips once while it was still warm. Regretted it. They melted everywhere, made a sort of chocolate bark—that actually wasn’t too bad if you’re into chaos. Cutting back a little on sugar worked fine (turns out, the maple syrup does a lot of heavy lifting).

Swapping cherries for chopped dried apricots? Awesome. Hazelnuts for almonds? Also worked. Even the time I let my neighbor’s kid toss in a scoop of sunflower seeds “for luck”—it was still demolished by breakfast the next day.

Gear: Use What You’ve Got (Mostly)

A big ol’ rimmed baking sheet is key (or so I thought until I tried it in a cake tin once; it did come out thicker—kinda chewy, but still granola!). If you’re out of parchment, foil will do, just grease it a bit or you’ll regret your life choices. Mixing bowls and a big wooden spoon—no fancy whisks required.

Storing the Goodness (Not That It Lasts Long)

Officially, airtight jar or tin, room temp, up to a couple weeks. But honestly, in my house it doesn’t last more than a day or two—people just wander by and grab a handful. Theoretically, it freezes well, but who… who ever has enough left to freeze?

How I Love to Serve This (Don’t Judge My Yogurt Mountain)

Honestly, I don’t get fancy. Over plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle more maple syrup—magic. Kids like it with milk, cereal-style. Oh, and sometimes (on Saturdays) we use it as a topping for vanilla ice cream while pretending that’s a totally reasonable dinner.

What Not to Do (Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way)

If you rush the baking, you’ll get burnt edges, raw middles—it’s not worth saving five minutes. Take a moment to stir.
I once used olive oil that was too, um, robust. The flavor was a bit… Mediterranean-breakfast perhaps, but not my favorite. Stick with the mild kind.
No matter how tempted you are, don’t dump the dried fruit in before baking. I did—it turned into tooth-shattering nuggets. Won’t make that mistake twice.

Your Granola FAQs—Real Questions from Real Kitchens!

Can I halve the recipe?
Yup! You can. Just use a smaller tray, but watch the bake time—it’ll be done faster. Or double it—no one ever complains about too much granola.

Is it gluten free?
If you use certified GF oats, it is. But check your labels, because sometimes you pick up the regular kind by accident (speaking from cranky experience here…)

What can I use instead of maple syrup?
I’ve used honey, and it’s just fine, but maple’s got that ‘something’—hard to explain. Agave is pretty close, but don’t use pancake syrup, it just tastes like weird candy.

Help! My granola is chewy not crunchy?
Happens to the best of us, especially if it didn’t cool down completely before storage. Pop it in the oven on low (250°F) for 10 min, let cool again. That usually does the trick.

One Last Thing, Because Tangents Happen

If you’ve got some downtime (like, waiting for granola to come out of the oven), I highly recommend scrolling through Smitten Kitchen for more kitchen inspiration or, if you’re a big granola nerd like me, Serious Eats’ crunchiest granola guide. They’ve got tips—some wackier than mine.

So, next time you see an oat explosion in your cupboard, you know what to do. Or don’t. I mean, you do you, mate.

Eleven Madison Park’s Granola