cranberry nut granola: a story of addiction & a recipe

Addiction is putting it mildly. I made a rather large batch of cranberry nut granola over the weekend and (cough) half is missing. I'm not sure what happened to it. But I must say that nibbled alone or atop your morning yogurt with a few fresh blueberries thrown in for good measure is simply the bee's knees.

The recipe originated here on Food Network and, of course, I tweaked. I'll pass along my version cuz it's better. :)

Cranberry Nut Granola

1/3 c. pumpkin seeds
1/3 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. quinoa
3/4 c. almonds
1/3 c. maple syrup
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 of unsweetened cranberry juice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 c. dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, quinoa, almonds, and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cranberry juice, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and salt.

Pour the maple mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Stir in the cranberries and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture begins to brown. Cool completely. Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!