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Andy's Fairfield Granola

by . Featured in FEAST
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Introduction

This happens to be only the best granola you'll ever taste in your life — I am enormously grateful to Andy Rolleri for supplying the recipe.

You may think making your breakfast cereal is a strange way to go about life, and certainly I'd never have thought I'd be the kind of person who does this, but the only big deal here is the shopping — the actual making is incredibly easy — and even there, don't be daunted by the length of the ingredients list. It means one big sortie to a health food shop and then you've got the goods to make this again and again. I love having a big jar of it in the kitchen, to eat with milk for breakfast, over yogurt and drizzled with honey late at night, or as it is, by the grasped handful, any time I pass the jar.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

This happens to be only the best granola you'll ever taste in your life — I am enormously grateful to Andy Rolleri for supplying the recipe.

You may think making your breakfast cereal is a strange way to go about life, and certainly I'd never have thought I'd be the kind of person who does this, but the only big deal here is the shopping — the actual making is incredibly easy — and even there, don't be daunted by the length of the ingredients list. It means one big sortie to a health food shop and then you've got the goods to make this again and again. I love having a big jar of it in the kitchen, to eat with milk for breakfast, over yogurt and drizzled with honey late at night, or as it is, by the grasped handful, any time I pass the jar.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Andy's Fairfield Granola
Photo by James Merrell

Ingredients

Makes: approx. 2.5 litres / 10 cups

Metric Cups
  • 450 grams rolled oats
  • 120 grams sunflower seeds
  • 120 grams white sesame seeds
  • 175 grams apple sauce (or apple compote)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 120 grams brown rice syrup (or rice malt syrup, or failing that golden syrup)
  • 4 tablespoons clover honey (or other runny honey)
  • 100 grams soft light brown sugar
  • 250 grams whole natural almonds
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 300 grams raisins
  • 4½ cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • ¾ cup white sesame seeds
  • ¾ cup apple sauce (or apple compote)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup brown rice syrup (or rice malt syrup, or failing that golden syrup)
  • ¼ cup clover honey (or other runny honey)
  • ¾ cup soft light brown sugar
  • 2 cups whole natural almonds
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups raisins

Method

  1. Mix everything except the raisins together very well in a large mixing bowl. I use a couple of curved, rigid spatulas; normally, I'd be happy to use my hands, but here it just leaves you covered with everything.
  2. Spread this mixture out on two baking tins (the sort that come with ovens, and are about the width of a rack) and bake in a gas mark 3/170°C/150°C Fan/300-325ºF oven, turning over about halfway through baking and re-distributing the granola evenly during the baking process. The object is to get it evenly golden without toasting too much in any one place. This should take anything from about 40 minutes. I use a gas oven, which doesn't brown as fast as an electric one, so often leave it in for up to an hour.
  3. Once it's baked, allow to cool and mix together with the raisins. Store airtight.
  1. Mix everything except the raisins together very well in a large mixing bowl. I use a couple of curved, rigid spatulas; normally, I'd be happy to use my hands, but here it just leaves you covered with everything.
  2. Spread this mixture out on two baking tins (the sort that come with ovens, and are about the width of a rack) and bake in a gas mark 3/170°C/150°C Fan/300-325ºF oven, turning over about halfway through baking and re-distributing the granola evenly during the baking process. The object is to get it evenly golden without toasting too much in any one place. This should take anything from about 40 minutes. I use a gas oven, which doesn't brown as fast as an electric one, so often leave it in for up to an hour.
  3. Once it's baked, allow to cool and mix together with the raisins. Store airtight.

Additional Information

I make a chocolate and peanut version of this, using 300g / 2 ¾ cups raw peanuts in place of the almonds, and adding 25g /¼ cup best-quality cocoa powder along with the oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, giving everything a good raking over with my hands, so that the cocoa is evenly dispersed before I add the remaining ingredients. And I sometimes leave the raisins out of Andy's granola, but I absolutely never include them in this version. You could, however, tinker with the idea of some dried cherries.

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store in an airtight container in a cool place. At its best within 2 weeks of making.

I make a chocolate and peanut version of this, using 300g / 2 ¾ cups raw peanuts in place of the almonds, and adding 25g /¼ cup best-quality cocoa powder along with the oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, giving everything a good raking over with my hands, so that the cocoa is evenly dispersed before I add the remaining ingredients. And I sometimes leave the raisins out of Andy's granola, but I absolutely never include them in this version. You could, however, tinker with the idea of some dried cherries.

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store in an airtight container in a cool place. At its best within 2 weeks of making.

Tell us what you think

What 17 Others have said

  • I made this , this morning and omg I can’t stop eating it ! I made a few changes just because a few ingredients I didint have but I used rice syrup and really believe when nigella says it gives malty flavour which is divine ! I made the chocolate version and it’s lovely , best granola I’ve had ! I also happened to have vanilla oat milk in house which is honesty divine with this ! Yet again Thankyou nigella :)

    Posted by Rosiecooks22 on 15th January 2024
  • I use this recipe as guidance for measurements, but sometimes I use different ingredients: other rolled cereals, seeds (chia, pumpkin), and nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or cashews. I usually use agave syrup and chestnut honey. And the granola is always awesome. Thanks for the recipe.

    Posted by Acjom on 8th June 2023
  • I have a selection of nuts in my store cupboard & was wondering what to do with them. So followed Nigella’s recipe & it is utterly delicious. I left out the brown sugar as I don’t need the added sweetness. It’s such a great way of flavouring dry nuts. I will look forward to adding them to Greek yoghurt & berries.

    Posted by BeauA on 5th December 2022
  • It really helps to mix the oil, syrups, spices & brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved and the spices are fragrant. It makes for much easier mixing into the dry ingredients. Cheers!

    Posted by Larnegirl on 22nd August 2019
  • Hi Nigella, Whatever I make from your website turns out awesome, the first time itself. I never have to worry about how it will taste! Its always super yummy!!!

    Posted by Jasminebharucha on 19th June 2018
  • Thank you for an amazing recipe! I just made this granola today, but switched the apple compote for 2 peeled Cordell grated green apples (as also suggested here in the other comment). I also added some walnuts, which complimented the almonds. It was sooo tasty! As I’m eating this deliciousness, I just wanted to pay some gratitude to this recipe. Thank you so much ????

    Posted by madeleineloves on 22nd May 2018
  • Hands down the best granola recipe that I have made to date! Its my go to Granola. I have made both the Chocolate Peanut and the one with Almonds. The Chocolate and Peanut is the clear winner. I have refined the recipe to include things like walnuts and Maple Syrup in the Almond granola and dried Blueberries and cocoa nibs in the chocolate granola, have made it and gifted it to friends, and they LOVE IT!! these recipes are high on my rotation list!

    Posted by Dan_Aus on 1st May 2018
  • Made this today and it’s so delicious I keep nibbling while it’s cooling!

    Posted by loncccsb on 6th January 2018
  • Brilliant, although added two grated apples instead of Apple sauce and used honey and maple syrup as sweeteners. Will become a regular 'make'.

    Posted by Stine1 on 8th August 2015
  • This recipe was recommended to me by my GP for a hormonal skin condition. I was a bit apprehensive to try it as I'm not really a seed fan however, I made it this morning and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing.

    Posted by Pamde on 14th December 2014
  • Worlds better than anything you can buy. The whole almonds are an especially good addition. A couple of tweaks I've found helpful: grease the oven trays very well with the 2 tablespoons of oil called for in the recipe. Melt the apple sauce, brown rice (or other) syrup, and honey together over low heat, then pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Made a very nice version recently with agave syrup.

    Posted by Fan in Japan on 15th May 2014
  • I halved the quantity and cooked it for 15 minutes in my Tefal Actifry. Can't stop eating it especially with Greek yoghurt and stewed fruit. Maureen

    Posted by Maureen1cleo on 11th May 2014
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