Easy Cranberry Granola
Do you ever find that you’re scared of granola? I’ve been scared of granola, and I’ll tell you why.
1. If you look at the nutrition facts on a box of store-bough granola, you might skip a heart beat. It’s usually around 300-400 calories for 1/4 of a cup! What do the PUT in it that would push the calories that high? What could it possibly be?
2. The boxes at the store are so small! And the price is so high! Especially if you go to the organic section. I swear they make everything in the organic section smaller on purpose. $5.00 for 2 oz of granola?
So how do we combat these scary issues and fall in love with granola again? You guessed it! We make granola at home, ourselves. And it’s SO EASY! It’s almost SCARY how easy it is! (But not scary enough to scare you away.) Check it out:
I use dried cranberries in a lot of my recipes, because they are tart and sweet, and seem to go perfectly with a lot of the nut mixes I’ve made. Here’s my usual disclaimer: try to find dried cranberries with no added sugar, or low sugar.
This granola recipe is tasty, crunchy, and chewy; all the things a good granola should be – and without a lot of the calories. Eat it as a snack, top a parfait with it, or even add milk! The possibilities are endless!
Easy Cranberry Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Roughly chop the almonds and cranberries.
2. Add all ingredients in a medium large bowl and mix well. Remember to spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before you add the honey. You won’t believe what a world of difference this makes!
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the granola out.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through. Watch the granola closely during the second half of cooking, because it will burn if left in the oven for too long. Confession: I almost burned this batch.
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped cranberries
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Roughly chop the almonds and cranberries.
- Add all ingredients in a medium large bowl and mix well. Remember to spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before you add the honey. You won’t believe what a world of difference this makes!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the granola out.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through. Watch the granola closely during the second half of cooking, because it will burn if left in the oven for too long. I almost burned this batch.
Have you ever made your own granola? Tell us about it in the comments section!
Crystal is the founder of Simply Playful Fare. She has been in the kitchen for as long as she can remember. She has a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing.