Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters
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Deliciously nutty Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters is a crunchy delight! These granola clusters are equal parts sweet, nutty, and fruity, with just the right amount of crunch. They make a fabulous homemade granola that is easy, highly customizable, and great for snacking!
Trust me, once you whip up a batch of these crunchy delights, you won’t be able to resist snacking on them all day long.
BONUS! This makes a great homemade gift!!
More recipes that readers enjoy are: Homemade Energy Snack Bars, Best Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe, Copycat Kashi Granola Bar Recipe, Chocolate Peanut Cranberry Clusters, and Raisin Peanut Clusters Recipe
Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters
There are two things you should always make homemade because it’s so easy: hummus and granola. Seriously, it’s as easy as driving to the store and waiting in that forever-long line. And the bonus is you get to make it exactly how you like it with fewer preservatives and salt.
For instance, if you don’t like dried cherries, you can easily omit them or substitute any dried fruit such as dates, coconut, or dried mango. Dried mango! Have you ever tried dried mango? It’s the bomb-diggity
This Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters recipe is highly versatile. Want a bite of chocolate? Mini chocolate chips would be awesome in them. Don’t like almonds? Substitute pecans or cashews!
I added wheat germ because I have a huge jar I’m trying to use up. Don’t buy a huge jar of wheat germ unless you use it in other recipes. You can omit it without affecting the flavor. (Wheat germ does offer some nutritional value, however, if you’re trying to amp up your nutrition.)
Ingredients
The full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post. You can save a tree and the recipe to your personal and private recipe box here on Call Me PMc. This way, you’ll never misplace it.
- old-fashioned rolled oats
- vegetable oil
- salted butter
- salt
- brown sugar
- honey
- molasses
- vanilla extract
- wheat germ
- dried cranberries
- sunflower seeds
- almonds
Cooking Tips
- Preparation is Key: Before you start mixing the Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters, make sure all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go. This will help everything come together smoothly.
- Don’t Skimp on Mixing: When combining, mix thoroughly. You want every oat and nut coated in that delicious honey-brown sugar goodness.
- Spread it Thin: Aim for an even layer when spreading the granola mixture onto your baking sheet. This will help ensure that everything bakes up nice and crispy.
- Patience is a Virtue: Once the granola comes out of the oven, resist the urge to dig in immediately. Let it cool completely before breaking it into clusters. This will give you those satisfyingly chunky pieces we all love.
Dried Cherry Almond Granola FAQ
Q: Can I substitute any of the nuts or dried fruits?
A: Absolutely! Feel free to mix and match based on your preferences. Just be sure to roughly chop any larger nuts so they blend well with the other ingredients.
Q: How long will the granola last?
A: If stored in an airtight container, your granola should stay fresh for up to two weeks. But let’s be real. It probably won’t last that long once you start snacking on it!
Q: Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
A: While olive oil can work in a pinch, it may impart a slightly different flavor to the granola. Vegetable oil tends to have a more neutral taste, allowing the other ingredients to shine.
Dried Cherry Almond Granola Conclusion
These are a snack-time game-changer. Whether you enjoy them by the handful, sprinkled over yogurt, or paired with a splash of cold milk, one thing’s for sure: once you try this recipe, you’ll never go back to store-bought granola again.
If you like Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters, you may also like
- If you like cherry, you’ll also like this Fizzy Cherry Bourbon Sour
- Healthy Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies
- homemade peanut butter oatmeal breakfast blondies
- Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
Dried Cherry Almond Granola Clusters
Items in blue & underlined below can be clicked for more detail or to purchase.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup vegetables oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon wheat germ
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup almonds roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl toss butter, oil, and salt with oats.
- Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the mixture a few times.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, and molasses. Stir and heat over low heat until it begins to bubble.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour the oats bake into the bowl along with the wheat germ, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Toss to combine.
- Pour the brown sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine. It will be sticky.
- Line a large sheet pan or two smaller cookie sheets with foil and spray the foil with non-stick spray or grease the foil with oil or solid vegetable shortening.
- Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and spread out.
- Bake at 250 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly toasted.
- Let cool then break into clusters.
- Store in an air-tight container up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
This is really Amazing, I really need to learn how present our dish 🙂
Great idea for this time of year ! Perfect for both breakfast and snack. Thank you and have a pleasant week !