With sweet-tart dried cherries, whole roasted almonds, and toasted coconut flakes, Cherry Almond Granola begs to be sprinkled onto a bowl of tangy Greek yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack.Makes 6 cups granola.
½cuplight-flavored oil(such as canola or grapeseed)
½cuphoney
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1cupwhole raw almonds
½cupunsweetened flaked coconut
1cupdried cherries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and kosher salt until combined. Set aside.
In a small bowl (or a liquid measuring cup), whisk together oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oat mixture and stir until evenly combined. Fold in almonds and coconut.
Spread granola in an even layer onto prepared sheet pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown, flipping the granola with a spatula after 20 minutes and rotating the pan in the oven for even baking. Keep a close eye during the last 10 minutes of baking, as the granola can go from toasted to burned (especially in the corners) quickly.
Remove from the oven and immediately fold dried cherries into the granola on the sheet pan. Re-spread granola into an even layer and let cool to room temperature. Break up granola, leaving some small clumps, if desired.
Notes
While you will get some clusters of granola with this recipe, this is not a heavily-clumped recipe. It is best suited to sprinkling over yogurt and in parfaits for breakfast (or a very delicious snack!). Cherry Almond Granola keeps well, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to two weeks.Feel free to substitute different nut varieties and dried fruits to your personal flavor preferences. Larger fruits, such as apricots, should be cut into smaller pieces before adding to the granola. For a sweet treat, add ½ cup chocolate chips when the granola is completely cooled.