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Homemade Cranberry-Almond Granola
Fall is here, which means a few things:
1) Football season is here.
2) The summer heat is finally tapering down.
3) Nascar season is heating up.
4) It's time for autumn scents of spice and apples.
4) The time is right for cool-weather foods.
My first official fall food of the year was chicken noodle soup, and the recipe will be posted soon. First, however, I had to share this yummy, inexpensive recipe for [bulk] homemade granola! This recipe can be adjusted and changed in all sorts of fun ways - make however much you need, use different ingredients, etc. This is a universal recipe that you cannot go wrong with! So let's get started, shall we?
1) Football season is here.
2) The summer heat is finally tapering down.
3) Nascar season is heating up.
4) It's time for autumn scents of spice and apples.
4) The time is right for cool-weather foods.
My first official fall food of the year was chicken noodle soup, and the recipe will be posted soon. First, however, I had to share this yummy, inexpensive recipe for [bulk] homemade granola! This recipe can be adjusted and changed in all sorts of fun ways - make however much you need, use different ingredients, etc. This is a universal recipe that you cannot go wrong with! So let's get started, shall we?
The first thing I did was mash up some almonds. I didn't really take measurements, but this is probably about a cup. You can use any nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts), and you could just buy them already crushed to save yourself a few minutes! I had almonds on hand, so I put them in a zip-loc bag, grabbed a hammer and crushed them.
Then, I grabbed the biggest mixing bowl possible and mixed up 7 cups of oats, 2 cups of dried cranberries and my crunched up almonds. You could use any dried fruit, but cranberry is just so reminiscent of fall - I couldn't help myself!!! If you like raisins, they'd be a great substitute.
This picture came out too blurry...*sigh* Sorry about that!!! Anyway, I put 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup honey in a little skillet and brought to a low boil. The little bubbles on top are completely normal, promise!! I stirred it while it was coming to a boil and then took it off heat once it started to boil. After that, I just added some nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Your kitchen (potentially your whole house!!!) will smell sooo good!!!
I poured the sugar/oil mixture in with the oats and used my hands to mix it all up. It was so tempting to eat raw oats - I'm telling you, it smells GOOD!!! After it was all combined, I spread out the granola on a couple cookie sheets and put in the oven for 10 minutes (See full recipe below for details). The secret to good granola: after 10 minutes, I turn the oven OFF. I stir up the granola and put it back in the oven until it's cooled. When your house smells AMAZING, it's probably time to taste test!!!
Yummm!!!! It was done just in time for Caleb to take some to work. Nevermind the pot in the background LOL - I was making chicken noodle soup at the same time.
Here's the full ingredient list & recipe for Homemade Cranberry-Almond Granola:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil (or 1/4c. oil + 1/4c. butter)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup crushed almonds
2 cups dried cranberries
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, cranberries and almonds. Blend well.
2. Mix brown brown sugar, honey and oil in a small skillet. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.
4. Pour oil/sugar mix over oats. Combine well - I recommend using your hands.
5. Spread granola mixture over two cookie sheets - they'll need to be spread kind of thin.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
7. Take granola out of oven and stir.
8. Put the granola back in the oven and turn it off. When your oven cools, the granola is done!
9. Store granola in an airtight container - cuteness recommended :)
10. Nom-Nom-Nom and Enjoy!!!
Here's the full ingredient list & recipe for Homemade Cranberry-Almond Granola:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil (or 1/4c. oil + 1/4c. butter)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup crushed almonds
2 cups dried cranberries
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, cranberries and almonds. Blend well.
2. Mix brown brown sugar, honey and oil in a small skillet. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.
4. Pour oil/sugar mix over oats. Combine well - I recommend using your hands.
5. Spread granola mixture over two cookie sheets - they'll need to be spread kind of thin.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
7. Take granola out of oven and stir.
8. Put the granola back in the oven and turn it off. When your oven cools, the granola is done!
9. Store granola in an airtight container - cuteness recommended :)
10. Nom-Nom-Nom and Enjoy!!!
Until next time,
Live.Laugh.Love.
Live.Laugh.Love.