Trail Mix Granola
This Trail Mix Granola recipe boasts of whole cashews (my favorite!), slivers of almonds, chewy dried cranberries, and a sweet cinnamon-maple glaze. Eat it with yogurt, milk, or by the handful.
You’ll love the way your kitchen smells when you bake a batch of this homemade Trail Mix Granola. The recipe features a sweet cinnamon-maple glaze that caramelizes perfectly when baked in the oven mixed with nuts, oats, and dried cranberries.
Sometimes it’s the small things that can bring so much satisfaction. Like cleaning out junk drawers.
Our junk drawer is in the kitchen. It sits in an all-too convenient corner of the countertop, within easy reach of the kitchen table. It becomes the repository of the odds and ends you don’t want to deal with, at least not yet. Between coats of paint and discussions on whether to tackle rewiring ceiling speakers, my husband took some time from the mini renovation to purge the dreaded drawer.
There were ponytail holders and measuring tape, paper clips and buttons, instructions to a lost Christmas toy from last year. We found a packet of seeds, flowers my daughter wanted to plant two years ago. Oodles of those awful little rubber toys your kids bring home from goodie bags. Coupons that were clipped with good intent, then expired. It felt so good to throw it all away.
You know what else is gratifying? Making your own granola.
I’m guilty of deferring to convenience when it comes to one of my favorite breakfast foods and snacks. I buy my granola, despite the fact that it is so easy to make at home. Why? I just don’t know. Laziness? Junk drawer syndrome? Probably. But that has all changed.
I have made trays and trays of granola over the last several weeks, and I can’t stop. I’ve found happiness in the sweet aroma of cinnamon caramelizing chunks of nuts and oats in the oven.
There’s a strange satisfaction in blending flavors in the baking tray and pouring it by the handful over my yogurt for a mid-day snack. It’s the same happiness you get when you bake your own bread. Or roll out your own pasta. Or clean out the junk drawer. Like I said, it’s the small things.
This Trail Mix Granola boasts of whole cashews (my favorite!), slivers of almonds and chewy dried cranberries, and a sweet cinnamon-maple glaze. If you’re in the mood for a hint of the islands, I’m sharing another version with macadamia nuts and coconut over at Wayfair today.
How To Make Trail Mix Granola
Before mixing up a batch of granola, prep a baking sheet with a silicone mat or a mist of baking spray.
Then, you’ll mix together rolled oats, whole cashews (here I’ve used salted and roasted), sliced almonds, and cinnamon. Cook the maple syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Then, the maple syrup mixture is poured over the oat mixture and mixed to coat. Bake for about 30 minutes, staying nearby so you can stir the granola every five minutes or so. When the granola is finished baking, add the dried cranberries and it’s ready to eat.
Store it in an airtight container and enjoy for breakfast or snacking anytime!
More Homemade Breakfast Ideas
Gingerbread Granola
Sheet Pan Banana Pancakes
Oatmeal Pancakes
20 Simple Smoothie Recipes
Apple Oatmeal Blender Waffles
Trail Mix Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup whole cashews salted and roasted
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly mist with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, and cinnamon. In a small saucepan, mix together the maple syrup and brown sugar and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture in the prepared baking tray and place it in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every five minutes. When the granola is toasted, remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Add the dried cranberries and stir. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Thank you so much, LIren! I’m off to make this right now.
Thank you for sharing this. Is there anything I can use in the place of maple syrup? I ran out of the good stuff – just wondering if I can use honey or agave in the same quantities?
Thank you again for this recipe – it sounds delicious!
You’re so welcome, Sarah! Yes, honey or agave nectar will also work nicely – you can thin the honey out with a little apple juice if necessary. The honey will definitely give it a pronounced honey flavor, so if you want something a little more neutral in flavor, I would go for the agave. I hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing the pictures. Even if you’ll have these every day, you may still never have enough. Nice post.
I will make a batch for my grand kids…and me too of course…
I’ve been thinking about making a batch of granola for awhile now….I think I’ve just found my recipe-thanks Liren ;-)
I’ve had granola on my mind ever since I saw your IG… now I’m really compelled to make my own! :)
Love the cinnamon maple glaze on this granola!
Me too! And the cinnamon smells ah-may-zing when it bakes!
As soon as I see chewy fruit and cashews, I’m in.
Gorgeous recipe!! Like I said before, I’d pick out all of the cashews and eat them at once ;) From time to time I attempt to clean out my junk drawer too. I always feel so much better after the task!
The cashews are my favorite part, too! I think I just need to make an all-cashew version…but then that wouldn’t be granola anymore, would it? LOL.