Description
These easy cherry granola adds a satisfying crunch to all kinds of delicious breakfasts and snacks. Enjoy it as cereal with milk, or sprinkle it on yogurt, chia pudding, smoothies, and more!
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats*
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (or shredded coconut)
- 1/3 cup ground flax (I prefer golden flax)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dried cherries
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, and salt. (Do NOT add dried cherries yet!)
- Add Wet Ingredients. Pour coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract over the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine well until everything is evenly coated and blended.
- Pack Down On Baking Sheet. Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pack down tightly into an even layer with the back of a spatula. (You want the mixture as tightly packed as you can–this will make for bigger granola clusters later!)
- Bake Granola 40-45 minutes, but do NOT stir during the bake time. (Again, this helps with big clusters!)
- Cool Completely. When the granola is golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool COMPLETELY (about 1 hour) before touching it. Sprinkle with dried cherries, then break granola into clusters when it’s cool.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy granola right away with milk, yogurt, smoothies, or chia bowls, or store leftover granola in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)
Notes
- Oats. You MUST use certified gluten-free rolled oats for this recipe to be gluten-free. We don’t recommend steel-cut oats or quick oats for this recipe.
- Oil. If you don’t tolerate/like/have coconut oil, you can use avocado oil or light-tasting olive oil, though the flavor profile will be a little different.
- Flax. We only recommend ground flax seed for this recipe. Whole flax seeds are harder to digest and won’t bind the granola the same way. You can substitute almond flour or chia seeds instead, if needed.
- Salt. If using fine table salt, start with HALF the amount.Â
- Cherries. I prefer the flavor of dried tart cherries, but it can be easier to find unsweetened sweet cherries/bing cherries. Use whichever you prefer!Â
- Variations. Try adding chocolate chunks or chocolate chips to cooled granola, or swap out the almonds for pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans! Or, mix in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with the dry ingredients for a lovely note of spice.Â
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American