Granola Recipe, served with Pecans and Cranberries

At a glance

What stands out: Once you try this straightforward granola recipe with pecans and cranberries, you won’t be buying granola from the store again. From-scratch granola is straightforward to mix, more economical, and tastes so much better than store-bought!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large rimmed baking sheet, mixing bowl
Servings: 12

Becky Said:

“we just made this granola exactly as posted. We love it!”

See More Reader Reviews

A standby straightforward granola Recipe

A straightforward to use recipe. We wrote this recipe to use one measuring cup (1 cup) and one measuring spoon (1 tablespoon). That means fewer dishes to wash. We’re going for straightforward here! The recipe does call for ¼ teaspoon salt but you can just shake a little salt into your palm and eyeball that. The nut measurements are half cups but you can eyeball those too. Making granola is not an exact science at all; this is a forgiving recipe.

Lots of cinnamon. This straightforward granola recipe is heavy on the cinnamon (the recipe calls for one tablespoon, and we'll admit, sometimes we add even more), but if that sounds a little overwhelming to you, feel free to scale back a bit, or even omit it.

Make it how you like it. This granola recipe is straightforward to adapt to your own preferences or simply to change things up once in awhile. You can add whatever you have on hand. Don’t have dried cranberries? Substitute dried cherries, dried blueberries, or whatever dried fruit you love best, or leave it out completely. Don’t have pecans? That’s okay! Just bump up the amount of walnuts or almonds, or leave the nuts out, if you prefer, and add another cup or two of oats.

Flaked Coconut

Rather than shredded coconut which can tend to be a bit stringy, consider using flaked coconut. The large-sized flakes are so much more flavorful than shredded coconut and crisp up in this straightforward granola recipe as they toast.

Keeping leftovers

Let the granola cool to room temperature. If the granola is even a little bit warm when you put it into a container, condensation will form and your granola will become soft and may even get moldy.

Put it into an airtight container. We like to store granola in a recycled jar because it’s so pretty! It will keep at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

Freeze any extra. For longer storage, put the granola into a freezer-safe container or bag. It will keep for a few months.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 35 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
• ½ cup chopped raw walnuts (see note)
• ½ cup chopped raw pecans
• ½ cup sliced raw almonds
• 1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, optional
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ, optional
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (amount can be adjusted to your preference)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray a sheet pan (rimmed baking sheet) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds, coconut, flaxseed, wheat germ, ground cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.
3. In a 2 cup microwave-safe measuring cup (or small bowl), mix oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Heat in microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power. Stir to combine. If using coconut oil, continue to heat in 30 second increments until coconut oil is completely melted. Pour over dry ingredients and stir until everything is coated. Spread into an even layer on prepared baking sheet.
4. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and completely dry.
5. Completely cool the granola. If you like big chunks, immediately after removing the granola from the oven, press it down with a spatula and let it cool completely on the pan. If you prefer not to have large chunks, stir 3 to 4 times as granola cools. Once the granola is completely cool, stir in the dried cranberries.

Notes

Nuts & seeds: You can use any combination of nuts and seeds; you don’t have to use all four (sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds). It’s best if the nuts and seeds are raw, not roasted. If you prefer a nut-free granola, simply use more oats. Just don’t exceed 6 cups of dry ingredients.

Baking tip: Don’t underbake the granola. It should look pretty dry and crisp, not wet and sticky.

Storage: Once the granola is completely cooled, store it in an airtight container or large jar at room temperature. Granola will keep for up to 4 weeks, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Makes about 6 cups