Easy Homemade Cranberry Pecan Baked Granola
This Easy Homemade Cranberry Pecan Baked Granola is the perfect consistency – not too crunchy and not too sticky. Sweetened with maple syrup, it has just the right amount of sweetness to top off your fruit and yogurt.
Christmas 2020. It was one for the books, that’s for sure. I love Christmas. Everything about it – the music (played on repeat), the food, the traditions, giving gifts, the decorations, the snow, the tree, the magic of the season, I could go on and on. But, what do I love most about Christmas? Getting together with family to celebrate together.
Looking for other Breakfast Recipes? Try these!
- Cottage Cheese & Veggie Egg Bake
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With how the rest of this year has gone, I purposefully set my expectations very low for this Christmas because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I think my low expectations worked out well because, although it wasn’t our typical celebration, it was still absolutely wonderful.
The boys are at such a fun age for Christmas. The twinkle in their eye when they walk downstairs in the morning is something I never want to forget. It’s so fun to make Christmas extra special for them because it becomes magic in their eyes.
Santa “accidentally” forgot his bag of toys and Jack was so worried. He picked up the bag and so sweetly asked “How are we going to get these presents back to the North Pole so Santa can deliver them to the kids?!” If only I could wrap up that sweet, sweet innocence forever.
This year, the gift Will wanted the most was a back scratcher. Yes, you read that right. My 4 year-old desperately wanted a back scratcher for Christmas. Why? I have absolutely no idea. But did Santa deliver? You better believe he did! When Will opened the back scratcher, he decided it was a good idea to rip off his shirt and try it out. He must have enjoyed it because he told everybody that it was his FAVORITE gift this year!
Easy homemade cranberry pecan baked granola
The boys and I love having yogurt parfaits. Not only do we eat them for breakfast, but they make a perfect snack! I have constantly been on the hunt for the perfect granola. Not too crunchy, not too crumbly, not too sweet and not a lot of cinnamon. It’s a tall order because I have tried A LOT of granola and haven’t found one that I love.
So, I decided to make my own. This Easy Homemade Cranberry Pecan Baked Granola is the perfect amount of chewy and (not too) sweet. Plus, it’s much easier to make then you would expect. Mix 7 ingredients together (which I’m guessing you already have on hand), pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and you are done.
Storing homemade Granola
I’m guessing if you are about to make this granola, you are probably wondering how long you will be able to keep it in your cupboard. I recommend storing the granola in an air-tight container like this for up to 2 weeks, if it lasts that long! It will keep really well in this container for you to enjoy.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you don’t have pecans, or don’t like them, you can definitely substitute any kind of nut. Walnuts or pepitas (or a combination of these) would be a really delicious addition.
In addition, any type of dried fruit would be great in this granola. Some other options include: dried cherries, mangoes, raisins, apples. Make this granola yours by adding your favorites!
The same thing goes for the dried cranberries. If you aren’t a fan of cranberries, you can use any sort of dried fruit that you would like. Or, you can skip dried fruit altogether and add more nuts or coconut or go really crazy and toss in some chocolate chips!
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Easy homemade cranberry pecan Baked Granola Ingredients
- old fashioned oats
- pecans
- dried cranberries
- salt
- vanilla extract
- coconut oil
- maple syrup
Healthy, Quick & Easy Recipes
Whenever I ask my readers what types of recipes they would like to see more of, the resounding answer is always “quick and easy dinners”. I always like hearing that answer because those are the kind of recipes that I want to make! So, whenever you come to Land of 10,000 Recipes, you will always be able to find recipes that are healthy, quick and easy!
Tips for involving kids
- Let your kids help you measure out all the ingredients. Letting your kids help you measure out ingredients is a perfect opportunity to practice hand-eye coordination, self control, following directions, the list goes on.
- Have them help you press the granola into the cookie sheet – Will thought this part was super fun.
- There is always going to be a mess when you cook with your kids but, like my little guy Will says, “It’s okay Mom, chefs make messes and then they clean it up.” Have fun cooking with your kids!!
Easy Homemade Cranberry Pecan Baked Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix together well.3 cups old fashioned oats, 1 cup pecans, ½ cup dried cranberries, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup melted coconut oil, ½ cup maple syrup
- Spread out the granola on the cookie sheet.
- Bake, until lightly golden brown, for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the granola.
- If you want larger chunks of granola, press the granola into the pan after stirring it.
- Once the granola is done cooking, let it cool and enjoy!
