This homemade cranberry pecan granola is crunchy, lightly sweet, and packed with healthy ingredients. Simple to make, easy to customize, and perfect for drizzling over yogurt, serving with milk, packing in lunch boxes, or just enjoying by the handful as a quick snack!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Pecan Granola
This homemade granola is cozy, crunchy, and full of texture. Pecans and almonds toast beautifully in the oven, while pepitas and sesame seeds add crunch and nutrition. Adding cranberries after baking keeps them chewy and sweet.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- It’s easy to make with pantry ingredients.
- Crispy, savory and slightly sweet
- Great for breakfast, snacks, and lunch boxes.
- It goes perfectly with yogurt, milk or a smoothie bowl.
- Easy to make ahead
- Customize with your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruits
Making granola at home is one of the easiest ways to control ingredients and sweetness. This version has the perfect balance of nutty crunch, warm cinnamon, tart cranberry, and just enough maple syrup or honey to bring it all together.
Tips for the Best Homemade Granola
Use old fashioned oats
Old-fashioned rolled oats give granola the chewiest, crunchiest texture. Quick oats can make your granola softer and less lumpy.
Add dried fruit after baking
Dried cranberries can harden or become overly tough if you bake them for too long. Stirring it after baking will keep it soft and sweet.
Don’t stir too much
If you like large clusters, stir only once during baking and let the granola cool completely before breaking up.
watch out for the edges
Granola can quickly go from golden to overcooked. Begin checking for about 25 minutes, especially near the edges of the pan.
Let cool completely
Granola may look soft when it first comes out of the oven, but it becomes crunchy as it cools. Allow time before storing.
easy transformation
Orange Cranberry Granola
Add 1 teaspoon of orange peel to the wet ingredients for a bright citrus flavor.
Chocolate Cranberry Granola
After the granola has completely cooled, stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Coconut Cranberry Granola
Add ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Extra Seed Granola
For even more texture and nutrition, add sunflower seeds, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
Holiday Granola
For a warm holiday vibe, add a little nutmeg, cardamom, or ginger.
Pre-made and stored
Store homemade cranberry pecan granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 hour. 2 weeks.
For longer storage, place granola in freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 1 hour. 3 months. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Let the granola cool completely before storing to keep it crunchy.
More delicious granola recipes:
Homemade Cranberry Pecan Granola
This simple homemade cranberry pecan granola is crunchy, lightly sweet, and packed with healthy ingredients!
Serving Size: 6
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Preheat the oven 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pecans, almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
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In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup or honey, melted coconut or avocado oil, and vanilla extract.Pour the wet mixture over the oat mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated.
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Spread granola mixture evenly onto prepared baking sheet. If you like larger chunks of granola, gently press them down with a spatula.
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broil 25-30 minutesStir halfway through until the granola is golden brown and fragrant.For chunkier lumps, stir gently and avoid breaking up the granola too much.
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Remove the granola from the oven and sprinkle dried cranberries directly on top.Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. It becomes crispy as it cools.
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Once completely cooled, break the granola into chunks and transfer to airtight containers.
