Almond and Cranberry Granola

Almonds and dried cranberries are the stars in this homemade granola recipe- perfect for breakfast or a snack anytime!

Happy Friday Eve! We’ve almost made it to the weekend everyone!

Okay, so I think I probably jinxed myself in Tuesday’s post by talking about how great it is to have a long weekend and a short work week. On Tuesday morning, we got in my car to head to work and boom- flat tire! Luckily MJD was with me (I was dropping him off first) to prevent me from having a full blown melt down- cars and car problems just aren’t my thing. After spending most of the morning waiting for AAA and then taking my car for a new tire, I really started the week off on the wrong foot and have been trying to get back on schedule ever since. I’m a big believer in schedules and my routines so a hiccup like that can seriously throw me for a loop!

One thing that would make even the worst of days better is my Almond and Cranberry Granola. I had been wanting to make granola for a while, but just hadn’t given it a try yet. After a couple of attempts, I came up with this recipe which I think has the perfect amount of sweetness, crunchiness and flavor for your more traditional granola. One of the best things about granola is how versatile it is: you can eat it with milk as cereal, as a topping in yogurt (one of my fave ways to eat it as you can see below ), just plain as a snack or even put it in a cute mason jar as a gift!  Another plus is if you make your own granola, you’ll know exactly what goes into it!  It’s a win-win all around :).

After you heard about how my week started, I’m wondering… are you as tied to your schedule and routine like I am?

xoxo, Jenna

You’ll Need:

Recipe makes Two and a Half Cups of Granola

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 3/4 of a cup slivered almonds
• 1/8 of a teaspoon salt
• 1/2 of a teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 of a cup maple syrup
• 1/4 of a cup honey
• 1/4 of a teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 of a cup dried cranberries

To Make:

Pre-heat oven to 300 Degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine oats, almonds, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey, almond extract and vanilla extract.

Pour the syrup mixture over the oats, stirring while pouring to ensure oats are moistened.

Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes, shaking the baking sheet every 15 minutes.

Once removed from oven, allow to cool completely for a few hours before packaging up. This helps the granola get a little extra crunch to it.

Package granola in an air tight container. In air tight container, granola should last two weeks, but I’m sure you will finish it much faster 🙂