Start your day off right with this Cranberry Pecan Granola. Wholesome crunchy bites of crisp oats, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds with some sweet cranberries. Serve it with some yogurt, milk or even eat it just as a snack.

A while back my 16 year old asked if I had a granola recipe. Answer, ah no. With 6 1/2 years of writing recipes here on the blog, I’ve never posted a granola recipe. Breakfast Oats, but never granola. And, even more, I’ve only made it a handful of times. So, once again my blog failed my 16 year old…hahaha. This is the fourth recipe I’ve written this fall because he has been searching.

So, he went in search and found this recipe from the Cookie and Kate food blog. It was just what he was looking for and has made it repeat since early August. So, I decided it was time for granola to make an appearance on Julia’s Cuisine as well. I didn’t change anything from the Cookie and Kate Granola Recipe, because it was prefect just the way it was.

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Of course, you can make your own version of this granola recipe and make it your own. You can choose your own kinds of nuts and seeds as well as dried fruits. Shaved coconut would also make a great addition or even chocolate chips. Make whatever variation you prefer the best. So, let’s take a look at this granola recipe and see what makes it so great.

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Here’s What You Need To Make The Cranberry Pecan Granola

• 4 Rolled oats
• Pecans roughly chopped
• Almonds roughly chopped1
• Pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries

REMEMBER, the full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

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Chop the nuts and combine dry ingredients

• Chop nuts – I used a mix of pecans and almonds for this recipe. Just roughly chop them to the size you would like them in the granola.
• Combine dry ingredients to a bowl – Mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt. Give a really good stir to combine.

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Add Wet Ingredients and combine

• Add wet ingredients to the bowl – add the honey and coconut oil (melted)
• Stir it up – give the granola a good stir and make sure it’s all completely coated in the honey and the oil

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Pour Granola Mixture into Prepared Pan And Bake

• Line baking tray with parchment paper – this is important so the honey actually sticks to the oats and not the pan.
• Evenly spread out granola mixture – use a spatula to evenly spread out the granola mixture. Firmly press down the granola with the spatula or a wooden spoon.
• Bake granola – the total baking time for this granola is about 20 – 22 minutes. BUT you need to remove it from the oven half way through baking and gently mix it up. Flatten it out again and return it to the oven to continue baking. Remove from oven when finished baking.
• Allow to cool completely – leave it for at least ONE HOUR so it cools and sets. It will firm up and become crisp during the cooling process. Allowing you to break it into large pieces.

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Break up Granola and Store in Container

One the granola has cooled completely, you can break it up with your hands. Store it in an airtight container for up to two weeks. I use large glass mason jars, but you can use tupperwear or even a zip lock bag. Whatever works for you.

Tips For Getting Chunky Granola

If you happen to be anything like us, you might enjoy chunky granola too. Here’s the best tips to get those bigger pieces in your granola every time.

• Firmly press oat mixture into the pan – this allows it to hold together while baking and stick together after it has cooled.
• Use parchment paper – this allows the honey to stick to the oats and not to the pan.
• For maximum clumps, gently press down on the granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
• Don’t over bake – If you bake it too long, it will become dry and crumble apart into tiny pieces.
• Allow to cool completely – if you attempt to break the granola up while it’s warm or hot, it will crumble completely. Leave it for at least an hour before you break it apart.

How to Store The Granola

• Glass Jar on the counter – this is how we’ve been storing it since early August and it works perfect and will keep fresh up to two weeks.
• Ziplock bag in the freezer – Cookie & Kate says you can freeze this granola, so I tried it out myself. Yes, it does freeze well in a ziplock bag and you can store it up to three months. Allow to defrost naturally before serving.
• Give the granola as a gift – I have a friend who has gifted me homemade granola several times, and I always love it. So why not, put it in a small jar with a gift tag and spread the love. Holiday season is just around the corner.

Best Way To Serve This Cranberry Pecan Granola

Great served with milk or yogurt. Personally, I can snack on it straight from the jar. It’s a great snack food! It even goes great with fresh fruit on a side for a more substantial breakfast. However you choose to enjoy it, it really is a great recipe. And a great alternative from the store bought kind. Personally, I think that most of the store bought granola is too sweet. I love desserts, but I prefer granola not to be too sweet. So making it yourself, you get to control the level of sweetness to suit your taste buds.

Enjoy the recipe friends and I’ll see you all in a few days with more kitchen inspiration. Until then, keep on cooking.

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Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!