It was really only a matter of time, you know, before I morphed your typical everyday granola into a Moroccan-ingredient-laden oat-filled masterpiece. It was the Peace Corps, after all. This recipe features some Moroccan classics like dried figs, dates, and that gem of the Moroccan south, argan oil. It’s got a little something different about it, including a classically Moroccan mix of sweet and savory in the same dish.

Peace Corps Morocco Granola

You will need:

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
4-6 dried figs, chopped
4-6 dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon flaxseed
1/2 cup dried coconut

1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons argan oil
2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine all the dry ingredients (oats through coconut) in a bowl and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the oils, milk, honey, and spices and whisk together thoroughly.

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and stir well. It may take a minute or two, but eventually the liquid should coat all the ingredients and the flat oats should begin to clump together with nuts and dried fruit.

Spread the granola evenly on a tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Watch it carefully because it’s easy to burn. The easiest rule of thumb is that once it starts to really smell like granola, it’s nearly done.

A note on argan oil: I find that it has a particular strong, almost nutty flavor that adds a lot to granola. If you don’t have it, though try using sunflower oil, or even trying sesame or other types of oils that will give the granola a bit more of an earthy flavor than your run-of-the-mill vegetable oils.