Pecan & Date Granola

This easy-to-make, homemade Pecan & Date Granola is brimming with toasted golden oats, crunchy pecans, & sweet dates...

Can we talk about raisins for just a quick second? In general, I don't like them. I mean, they have their place in the culinary world, but for me that wouldn't be straight from the box. Or baked into any kind of bread or bagel (oatmeal cookies though are a-okay with me ;) ). Or as part of a trail mix (I always pick around them). And especially not in my granola!

Do you know how difficult it can be to find a box of store bought granola that does not have raisins in it?? Nearly impossible. Believe me- I have tried. 

If you have an aversion to raisins in your morning granola like I do, then you are going to love the recipe that I am sharing with you all today! This homemade Pecan & Date Granola is brimming with toasted golden oats, crunchy pecans, & sweet dates.... and absolutely no raisins whatsoever! ;)

Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunsweet Growers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need a mini escape to the tropics now? You can't go wrong with these crunchy Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors... 

It has been in the single digits & teens around here this week, and these cold, frigid January temps have me daydreaming of a tropical paradise escape. I mean, it has been so cold that it literally makes my face hurt. And to quote that popular meme, "Why am I living where the air hurts my face?" It could be worse... I could be living in Fargo, or in Buffalo bracing for lake effect snow, or even the Arctic, right? ;) So, I will just bundle up, bake up some tropical paradise inspired granola clusters, and dream that I am enjoying a big bowl of these while swinging in a hammock on a white sand beach.

These Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters are so simple & easy to make with a little help from the new Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals flavors- Philippine Green Mango & Thai Coconut Chip. And for good measure, I added in some of their dried Philippine Pineapple to the mix. ;) Sunsweet does want to help you Find Your Paradise with an amazing sweepstakes to win a tropical paradise getaway (more on that at the end of this post.) But if you happen to be stuck in the bitter cold of winter (like me) and need a mini escape to the tropics now, you can't go wrong with these crunchy granola clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors...

Cherry Almond Granola {The Leftovers Club}

It is the first Thursday of the month, and you all know what that means, right? Yep, time for The Leftovers Club big reveals.  This month I was paired up with Danielle from Dining With Dani.  I decided to send her a jar of my homemade Cherry Almond Granola.  My original inspiration for this recipe was the Cherry Almond Granola I used to buy from Trader Joe's when I lived in the big city.  I used to love it and haven't had it in quite some time, so I decided to try and recreate it in my kitchen.  I would say it turned out pretty successful. ;)

What you will need:

2 cups of old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup of chopped or sliced almonds

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup of maple or pancake syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil (sometimes it is solid at cooler temperatures) and the maple syrup together over medium heat.  Mix and heat until the coconut oil is melted.  This should only take a few minutes.

Remove from the heat and mix in the extracts.

Pour the liquid mixture over the oats mixture and mix until evenly coated.  

Spread your granola mixture evenly over your prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring & flipping the mixture after 15 minutes.  

Allow the granola to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.

Once cooled, transfer the granola to a large bowl and then mix in the dried cherries.

Store your Cherry Almond Granola is an airtight container for up to a month.  I prefer to use mason jars for storing and gifting my granola.  

Look, I even got all crafty and used washi tape and baker's twine to pretty up the jar that I sent to Danielle. ;)

Serve this granola over your favorite yogurt or pour milk over it and have it in the morning.  (Or be like me and snack on it while you are waiting for it to cool completely...)

Cherry Almond Granola

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

6048283

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 2 cups of old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup of chopped or sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of maple or pancake syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil (sometimes it is solid at cooler temperatures) and the maple syrup together over medium heat. Mix and cook until the coconut oil is melted. This should only take a few minutes.

Mix in the extracts.

Pour the liquid mixture over the oats mixture and mix until evenly coated.

Spread your granola mixture evenly over your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring & flipping the mixture after 15 minutes.

Allow the granola to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.

Once cooled, transfer the granola to a large bowl and then mix in the dried cherries.

Store your Cherry Almond Granola is an airtight container for up to a month. I prefer to use mason jars for storing and gifting my granola.

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Be sure to check out all the other recipes in The Leftovers Club below!  You will find tons of tasty treats that also travel well. ;)

Cookie Butter Walnut Granola

If you happen to follow me on Facebook or Twitter, then you may have noticed my recent obsession with cookie butter.  For months I kept hearing about this new foodie must-have, but was unable to pick up a jar because I couldn't find it at any of my local stores.  Luckily, I have a sister who travels to Columbus at least once a month and always stops at a Trader Joe's there while she is in town.  On one of her visits a few months ago, I asked her to pick me up a jar of their crunchy cookie butter and that was all she wrote, folks...

Obsessed may be a mild way to express my love for this stuff. ;) I love to just spoon some out into a small bowl and dip pretzels in it.  It is delicious spread over waffles.  Or you can do like I do about once a day and just eat a spoonful out of it straight out of the jar.

I know some of you may be wondering just what is cookie butter.  The best way I can describe it has the consistency of a peanut butter, but with the flavors of a graham cracker, shortbread, and cinnamon and spices.  Yum!

Once I got past my need to eat it straight from the jar, I started to experiment with it a little in some recipes.  One of the first things I made with it is my ~Cookie Butter Walnut Granola~...

What you will need:

2 cups of rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would also be delicious in this)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup cookie butter (crunchy or smooth)

4 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together the oats, walnuts, and coconut.  Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, still in the brown sugar, honey, salt, and cookie butter.  Heat and stir together for 1-2 minutes.  

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the heated mixture over the oats mixture.  Mix well until the oats, walnuts, and coconut are well coated.

Spread the granola mixture evenly onto your prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

Allow the granola to cool completely and then break into spoon-sized pieces.  Store in an airtight container for up to a month. (I like to store mine in pretty glass Mason jars on my counter. ;) )

Have you tried cookie butter yet?  Am I the only one in need of an intervention here? ;)

Cookie Butter Walnut Granola

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

6045501

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would also be delicious in this)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup cookie butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together the oats, walnuts, and coconut. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, still in the brown sugar, honey, salt, and cookie butter. Heat and stir together for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the heated mixture over the oats mixture. Mix well until the oats, walnuts, and coconut are well coated.

Spread the granola mixture evenly onto your prepared baking sheet. Baking for about 40-45 minutes, stir every 15 minutes or so.

Allow to cool and then break into spoon-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

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Love making your own homemade granola?  Be sure you also check out my recipes for...

Mounds of Almond Joy Granola

Gingerbread Pecan Granola

                 

Mounds of Almond Joy Granola

I think it is pretty well known by now that I absolutely adore a good homemade granola.  I love that you can make it at home for a fraction of what you would pay for that little box of granola at the grocery store.  I love that I can control exactly what is in my granola.  I am not a fan of raisins in my granola.  And it seems like just about every store bought version has raisins.  So, now I make it at home... sans the raisins. ;)

It is also no secret that I am pretty much obsessed with the Budget Bytes blog. (Think tasty recipes... all budget friendly.)

So when I came across this recipe for Choco-Coconut Granola on the Budget Bytes blog, I knew I had to do my own little spin on it. :)  If you are like me and wish that you could get an Almond Joy in the dark chocolate that covers a Mounds, then you will love this granola recipe.   And this granola is definitely healthier (and just as good, if you ask me) as the candy bars it was named after.

What you will need:

2 cups of old fashioned oats

2/3 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped almonds

3 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract (or you could skip the vanilla & add an entire tsp of coconut extract)

1/2 cup mini semi sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Usually coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so you will need to melt it first.  

Once melted, add the honey, brown sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and water to the saucepan.  Continue to heat and stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in your extract(s).

In large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, and almonds.  Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oat mixture and stir well.

Spoon the wet granola mixture onto the lined baking sheet and spread out in an even layer.  You will bake the granola for 40-45 minutes, stirring the granola about halfway through.  If you prefer big clusters of granola, press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon after you have completed the halfway stir during baking.

Once the granola is done baking, allow it to cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes.  Then gently lift the parchment paper from the baking sheet and onto your counter and allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled, you can break up the granola into chunks of your liking and transfer to a large bowl.  Pour in your chocolate chips and then stir to evenly distribute them.  

You can store the granola in an airtight container for up to a month.  I like to use a couple of glass mason jars for this and leave them sitting pretty out on my counter. :)

What candy bar (or bars) would you like to see transformed into a healthier granola? 

Mounds of Almond Joy Granola

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

6042666

Ingredients (Approx 6-8 servings)

• 2 cups of old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract (or you could skip the vanilla & add an entire tsp of coconut extract)
• 1/2 cup mini semi sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Usually coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so you will need to melt it first.

Once melted, add the honey, brown sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and water to the saucepan. Continue to heat and stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in your extract(s).

In large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, and almonds. Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oat mixture and stir well.

Spoon the wet granola mixture onto the lined baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. You will bake the granola for 40-45 minutes, stirring the granola about halfway through. If you prefer big clusters of granola, press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon after you have completed the halfway stir during baking.

Once the granola is done baking, allow it to cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Then gently lift the parchment paper from the baking sheet and onto your counter and allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled, you can break up the granola into chunks of your liking and transfer to a large bowl. Pour in your chocolate chips and then stir to evenly distribute them.

You can store the granola in an airtight container for up to a month.

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