Servings: About 6 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 bag black tea
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. ground Saigon cinnamon; plus more for serving (optional)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup virgin coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp. honey; plus more for serving (optional)
- Coconut or whole-milk yogurt and pear or apple slices (for serving)
- A spice mill
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°. Remove tea leaves from bag and finely grind in a spice mill (you should have about 1 tsp.).
- Whisk ground tea, oats, buckwheat groats, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, ginger, cardamom, cloves, a few grinds of pepper, and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl to combine.
- Cook applesauce, oil, salt, and 6 Tbsp. honey in a small saucepan, whisking to combine, over medium heat until lukewarm, about 1 minute.
- Pour applesauce mixture over oat mixture and stir with a flexible rubber spatula until oat mixture is thoroughly coated. Spread granola out on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until deep golden brown and dry to the touch, 40–45 minutes. Let cool.
- Serve granola in bowls with yogurt, pear, and more honey and cinnamon (if desired). Do ahead: Granola can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Notes:
- This granola, inspired by masala chai, doesn’t get its fragrance from warm spices like cinnamon and ginger alone—there’s also ground black tea in the mix, which adds a pleasant astringency. Buckwheat groats are incomparably nutty and crunchy—but if you can’t find them, simply sub in more old-fashioned oats.
