Vanilla-Cinnamon Granola with Pecans & Cherries

Here is another of my favorite base granola recipes, this time, sweetened with honey.  You might look at this recipe and be like, dry milk powder? Really? And believe me, I was initially a bit skeptical too. Turns out that it adds quite a bit of flavor to the granola, and acts as a binder in the recipe, so you end up with giant granola clusters (or, whatever size clusters make you happy).  I love the pecan-cherry combination, but feel free to use any dried fruit that you like!

Vanilla-Cinnamon Granola with Pecans & Cherries

Yield:About 9-10 cups granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup oat bran
• 2 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 cup dried cherries

Prepare

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 325F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix the oats, oat bran, pecans, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk the oil, honey, dry milk powder, and vanilla.
5. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients (it will be very gloppy), and stir with your hands or a spoon, until well combined.

Bake

1. Divide the granola between the prepared baking sheets, and spread in an even layer.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, gently stir the granola, and switch the positions of the pans.
3. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the oats are golden brown and the pecans look toasted.  Watch the granola very closely at this stage - it can go from lovely, golden brown to burned very quickly.
4. Transfer baking sheets to cooling racks, and let cool completely before breaking into clusters.
5. Sprinkle in dried cherries.

Serve

1. Serve granola with fresh fruit, and milk or yogurt of your choice.
2. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Source: Inspired by Fine Cooking Breakfast and Brunch, Spring 2013

Print Recipe