How to make quick and easy cherry maple pecan granola

Does making homemade granola scare you? I am here to tell you, making my cherry maple pecan granola is quick and easy! Let’s do this!

Making homemade granola used to seem really scary to me until I made up this recipe. I have tried many recipes that I have found on Pinterest, but never really found one that I loved. This recipe can be easily adjusted to suit your tastes. As long as you follow the quantities and cooking times, this cherry maple pecan granola comes out perfect every time!

How I came up with this recipe

I came up with this recipe after making a granola from a Pinterest recipe that went terribly wrong. There isn’t much that I don’t like in the way of food, but lets just say, that granola was so bad that I actually threw it away. What a waste! It used vegetable oil for the fat in the recipe and I think that is what ruined the whole thing. The granola tasted extremely synthetic and I couldn’t even manage to eat it mixed in with my yogurt for breakfast! After that disaster, I decided to just wing a recipe of my own to come up with something that would taste better. Let’s just say, the rest is history! This is my all-time favorite recipe, hands down! Let me convert you in to a believer!

What will you need to make this cherry maple pecan granola?

The good news is, you don’t need a ton of ingredients or supplies to make this cherry maple pecan granola! You can also swap out ingredients to suit your own taste or preferences! Here is what you will need:

• 1 rimmed cookie sheet
• parchment paper
• old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• maple syrup
• brown sugar
• salted butter
• salt
• dried cherries
• pecan pieces
• rubber spatula
• medium sized bowl
• small sauce pan
• vanilla extract
• pinch of salt.

Here is how you make it!

This recipe is super simple! Here are the steps:

1. Add your oats, pecans, pinch of salt, and the brown sugar to your bowl and mix well.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, butter, and vanilla and cook on medium high heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well combined.
3. Add the melted butter mixture into the bowl of oats, pecans, and brown sugar and mix well to combine.
4. Place your sheet of parchment paper on your rimmed cookie sheet and spread the oat mixture out in a thin even layer using your rubber spatula.
5. Place the baking sheet into a preheated 300 degree oven and set a timer for 10 minutes
6. After 10 minutes have passed, take the granola out of the oven and toss it. Spread the granola back into an even layer using your rubber spatula and place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
7. After the second 10 minutes have passed, take the granola out of the oven and toss again. This time, add in your dried cherries and mix well to combine. Spread the granola into an even layer again and place back in the oven, this time for 15 minutes.
8. After the 15 minutes have passed, take the granola out of the oven, toss one more time, and spread into an even layer on the cookie sheet to cool completely.
9. Once the granola is completely cooled, place into an airtight container for storage.

Alternate Versions

Here are a few ways to switch up the flavors in this granola:

• trade out the pecans and dried cherries for coconut and dried pineapple for a tropical twist.
• use salted peanuts and raisins in place of the pecans and dried cherries. Once the granola is cooled, add in mini chocolate chips!
• replace the dried cherries and pecans with dried apples, salted almonds, and a dash of cinnamon for a holiday version.
• trade out the maple syrup for honey for a stickier and sweeter version.
• substitute the pecans with salted almonds for a crunchier version.

How I use my cherry maple pecan granola

Let’s be honest, this stuff is great straight out of the container! No joke, multiple times a day, you can catch me sneaking a handful from the jar and just throwing it straight in my mouth. It’s so delicious to just snack on! I also love to eat it like cereal. I just put some in a bowl, add some milk and there you have it, breakfast! It’s also great with fresh fruit added in like this. I would say the most common way that I eat this granola though is with my yogurt for breakfast in the morning. I mix it with some coconut greek yogurt, berries, and sliced bananas. IT IS HEAVEN! Really, this stuff is good no matter how you choose to eat it!

Here is the recipe for my homemade cherry maple pecan granola!

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Airtight containers

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Mason Jars

Dried Tart Cherries

Light Brown Sugar

Organic Maple Syrup

Rubber Spatula

Metal Mixing Bowls

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