Vanilla, Cranberry, & Pecan Granola Clusters
A super sweet, vanilla-flavored granola, sweetened with honey, a touch of brown sugar, and loaded with nutritious goodies like almonds, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. It’s a great snack for everyone, or the for kids lunches or even as an after school treat!
Can you guess what I did Sunday afternoon? I baked breakfast for the week, of course. Yesterday I really had the desire to make some sweet and flakey granola. I got really into the idea of making homemade granola after enjoying a bowl of it layered with yogurt and mixed berries at Huckleberry Bakery while in California. It was the perfect, light-yet-filling breakfast and I couldn’t wait to remake at home.
This granola combines pantry staples like old fashioned oats, pecans, chia seeds, and cinnamon with coconut oil, honey, and vanilla, which are tossed together and then baked into clusters. The result is a perfectly crunchy, vanilla flavored, sweetened granola. Translation… it’s about a million times better than the stuff you buy at the store.
This is actually Bubbie’s (Jen’s Mom’s) base recipe, with a few personal additions. 🙂
Besides sprinkling the granola into your morning yogurt, you could also use it for the granola in our acai bowls (**Recipe updated!!), combine it with a banana and splash of milk for breakfast, or take it straight to the face… We may or may not have chosen the third option upon taking to out of the oven 😉
Vanilla, Cranberry, & Pecan Granola Clusters
A super sweet, vanilla-flavored granola, sweetened with honey, a touch of brown sugar, and loaded with nutritious goodies like almonds, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. It’s a great snack for everyone, or the for kids lunches or even as an after school treat!
Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
¼ cup cranberries (optional)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
- Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 275°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix next oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, chocolate chips, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl.
- Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat.
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
- Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
- Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring every ten minutes, about 20 minutes.
- Pat down flat and bake for an additional 5 minutes
- Transfer sheet to rack; cool granola in pan completely before breaking into chunks
** UPDATED:
So I made this recipe again and I just couldn’t resist taking more pictures! I love this super sweet, non-bitter, granola sooo much! 🙂
***