Cranberry Almond Granola

By Foodiewife

I have kept my pact, to myself, that I would pack healthy and nutritious lunches...and that I would not buy anymore bagels and cream cheese. That's why I love this Cranberry Almond granola recipe so much; I pack it to work for my mid-morning snack and it totally satisfies my munchies.

It's one of the healthier versions that I've made, and it's really the most delicious one by far. I've shared this recipe with a few of my friends, who all rave about it.

I think what makes this granola recipe taste so good is the almond extract.

Originally, this recipe called for dried cherries. Cherries and almond are a match made in heaven. Dried cherries are harder to find and a lot more expensive. So, I've started to make this recipe with dried cranberries, that I buy in bulk at the health food store.

My husband likes to eat this with soy milk. My son likes it with 2% milk...me? I still say that it's delicious with non-fat vanilla yogurt. It's good sprinkled on ice cream, or eaten by the handful-- you decide!

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 teaspoons almond extract
• 6 cups old-fashioned oats (you can use Quick Oats, but old-fashioned is best)
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries or cranberries
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• Fat-free vanilla yogurt, optional

Preparation

Step 1

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk powder, honey, apple juice concentrate and oil.

Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; stir in extract.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, cherries and almonds. Drizzle with sugar mixture and mix well.

Spread in a thin layer in two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. DO NOT OVERBAKE, IT CAN BURN QUICKLY!

Cool completely. Serve with yogurt if desired. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 quarts.

A word of caution, if you make this-- the granola will burn if you don't pay close attention. I have Silpat (silicone) mats that fit on my baking sheets. Or, I recommend that you use parchment paper.