Vanilla Granola with Dried Fruit

Perfect doused with milk, atop yogurt or eating out of hand, this homemade Vanilla Granola with Dried Fruit tastes amazing!

This Homemade Granola trumps grocery store versions by a mile!

Vanilla Granola with Dried Fruit

Our June Improv Challenge, hosted by Kristen of The Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, featured cherries and almonds. Now, the ol’ hubby only eats cherries in the form of Kool-Aid, so I knew a cherry dessert wouldn’t fly. But I was overdue to make a batch of granola. I am the only one in this household who eats granola, and I love to keep a stash in the freezer for a special breakfast treat. I love to top a bowlful with a sliced banana and milk or sprinkle some over my granola, or just eat a handful for a snack. This fruit-packed version was sweetened with sugar and honey and dosed with a generous splash of vanilla extract for an out of this world granola!

Homemade Granola Recipe

One of my blogger friends, Lori of All That Splatters, shared this fabulous recipe on her blog. When a girlfriend wanted to learn how to make granola from scratch, I pulled out three of my favorite recipes.  She popped over for a cooking demonstration and selected Lori’s recipe to try first. I think she was genuinely surprised how easy this was to throw together. We declared it a success, after a lot of quality control sampling. In less than an hour, we had a wonderful breakfast treat to serve our families (or just me in my case). I promise you, this is SO much better than any lackluster store-bought granola.

A Few Tips for Making Granola from Scratch:

• Granola is highly adaptable, so if you don’t like dried apricots, use another dried fruit. Want raisins instead of craisins? No problem. Allergic to nuts? Leave them out.
• Make sure you stir your granola 2-3 times during the baking process so it all browns evenly.
• Let cool completely before storing.
• Store in an airtight container. This granola can also be stored in the freezer.

I hope you give this irresistible Vanilla Granola with Dried Fruit a shot!

More Granola Recipes You’ll Love:

• Chunky Maple Coconut Granola
• Pistachio Coconut Granola
• Maple Coconut Granola
• Plus More Easy Breakfast Recipes

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Vanilla Granola with Dried Fruit

A delectable homemade granola recipe sweetened with honey and flavored with vanilla extract. Adapted from All That Splatters.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Yield 16 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 2 cups slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I used dried cherries, cranberries and diced apricots)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300º. Cover two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil (or spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray). Set aside.
2. Mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Combine the oil, honey and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir till well combined.
3. Divide mixture between the two baking sheets. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and mix in dried fruit. Cool on rack. Store at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container.

Yield: 8 cups

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g

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