I’m slightly obsessed with granola.
I eat it on yogurt with fresh fruit nearly every day. On the rare mornings I don’t, I find myself eating it by the handful. I especially love big clumpy clusters. After making my own granola for years, I recently discovered the KIND Cranberry Dark Chocolate Clusters and couldn’t get enough of their crisp, crunchy texture dotted with tiny dried cranberries and little bits of chocolate.
My family shares that love. The granola disappears fast in a house full of hungry people, so I decided it was time to make a homemade version that satisfied the same craveable texture and flavor.
Making granola isn’t complicated. This recipe is easy to reproduce and delivers the clumps everyone loves. The trick is pressing the sticky mixture firmly into a rectangle on a lined sheet pan, baking, flipping sections over, pressing again, and then finishing with chocolate and cranberries after it comes out of the oven. Once it cools you break it into large chunks and store it in jars.
Everyone in my household approved — even the kids who refuse whole cranberries but will happily eat small minced bits. It stores well and makes a terrific grab-and-go snack or a protein-rich topping for yogurt and smoothie bowls.
Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola| Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 8 cups whole rolled oats
- 1 cup puffed brown rice or white rice cereal
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa red or white
- 1/2 cup uncooked millet
- 1/2 cup uncooked amaranth
- 1/4 cup untoasted white sesame seeds
- 1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup *See Notes; honey, agave, golden syrup, corn syrup or maple can be used in combination.
- 1/2 cup almond butter or preferred nut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vanilla paste or real vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries chopped into small bits
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped dark chocolate or mini semi-sweet chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two rimmed half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine the oats, puffed rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth and sesame seeds. In a smaller bowl, whisk the brown rice syrup (or chosen sweeteners), almond butter, salt and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Divide the mixture between the two pans and press it firmly into rectangles using the back of a spoon or spatula.
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Place the pans in the oven, immediately lower the temperature to 225°F, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pans and, using a spatula, flip the mixture over in sections so edges move toward the center. Press the mixture together again and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. The granola should be very sticky when done. To check, pull a bit from the center, let it cool to room temperature — if it’s crisp, it’s ready; if still sticky, bake up to another 30 minutes, flipping and pressing before each additional bake.
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When toasting is complete, remove the pans and evenly sprinkle the chopped chocolate across both pans. Break the dried cranberries into small pieces and scatter them over the granola, then press the cranberries into the surface with your palms so they stick. Allow the granola to cool completely on the pans, then break it into chunks and transfer to jars or airtight containers.
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Store granola at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one month.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate exact values using the ingredients you use.
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