Homemade Cherry Cinnamon Granola
I’m always looking for a healthy, tasty, and satisfying breakfast to have on hand for busy mornings, and one of my favorites is homemade granola with yogurt. Making your own granola at home is quick, easy, and much more cost-effective than buying pre-made granola at the grocery store. On top of that, the final product is crunchier, fresher, and will last for weeks in your pantry.
How to store homemade granola? I recommend storing homemade granola at room temperature in an airtight container or zipper bag. Be sure to package granola up in this way after it has cooled completely. Store for up to 3 weeks.
Can homemade granola go bad? Homemade granola will start to go stale after a few weeks if being stored appropriately in an airtight container. Air is the enemy here, so make sure the container you use to store the homemade granola seals properly.
Can homemade granola be frozen? You can freeze homemade granola in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe zipper bag if you want to create a large batch of it and store it in advance. My recommendation would be to thaw the granola gently in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to defrost.
Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? This could be because you haven’t cooked your homemade granola long enough or your granola mixture is too wet. Adding too much oil or maple syrup in your granola mixture will keep the granola from crisping in the oven and instead give you a stale-tasting final product.
Why does my homemade granola burn in the oven? Having your homemade granola burn in the oven can be caused by a few reasons:
The granola was cooked too long in the oven or not rotated during baking to ensure an even cook
The nuts used were pre-roasted nuts and not raw, therefore they became overcooked
Too much maple syrup was used in the granola mixture causing the sugars to burn in the oven
What to put in homemade granola? The possibilities are endless when considering what ingredients you can put in homemade granola, but some of my favorite combinations (aside from homemade cherry cinnamon granola) are:
Dark chocolate coconut
Cinnamon raisin
Cardamom and dried cranberry
The key to making variations to this homemade granola recipe is to keep the recipe below consistent (baking the oats, coconut, and nuts in the oil and maple syrup mixture) and adding any additional, delicate ingredients such as dried fruit or chocolate after baking.
How to make homemade cherry cinnamon granola:
Homemade Cherry Cinnamon Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups of oats
- 1/2 cup of oil - avocado or olive
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup of raw walnuts
- 1 cup of raw cashews
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup of dried cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix oats, oil, maple syrup, coconut, cinnamon, walnuts, cashews and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Spread evenly on a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the sheet pan and baking for about 15 minutes more. One of the best ways to tell when granola is done is using your sense of smell. When you can smell the aroma of the nuts and cinnamon strongly but no sense of burning has developed, it’s time to remove from the oven and let it cool.
- Once you remove the granola from the oven, immediately add the dried cherries to the sheet pan and toss to warm them through with the rest of the granola.
- Cool the granola completely and store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three weeks.
