White Chocolate Cranberry Granola

A healthy blend of brown butter soaked oats, toasted almonds, rich white chocolate chips, and plump dried cranberries!

For those of you who have managed to stick to your New Years’ resolutions of staying active and healthy (You go girl! Or boy…), this is the perfect snack/breakfast food to keep you energized.

It may not sound or look healthy due to the white chocolate chips I’ve so shamelessly added, but when you consider some of the other ingredients–whole oats, coconut, almonds, applesauce, dried cranberries– it’s a super well-rounded snack.

Plus, there’s only 1/4 cup of butter in this recipe which is pretty much equivalent to one bite of any of Paula Deen’s recipes.

Sure, I could’ve subbed it out for a healthier fat like coconut oil, but then you wouldn’t have the roasty, toasty, nutty goodness of brown butter.

Yes, people.

Brown butter.

Mmmm…brown butter……

It’s kind of a no-brainer for me. Whenever there’s melted butter in a recipe, you can’t really go wrong with browning the butter. 

To get the perfect amount of sweetness, I used three different sweeteners–brown sugar, maple syrup and applesauce. And when I say, “perfect,” I mean PERFECT.

It’s sweet enough that you could eat it on it’s own as a snack, yet not too sweet that you’ll end up with sugar milk (not that that’s ever a bad thing!) once you’ve finished a bowl. Using applesauce is a an especially great way to substitute some of the sugar. 

Since we’re on the topic of flavor, I just want to stress how crucial the almond extract is in this recipe.

Ok, it’s probably not THAT crucial…but still. You WILL be missing out if you omit it. Almond extract adds another dimension of flavor that really brings everything together. Not to sound all Ina Garten or anything…

Along with the oats, chopped almonds, and flaked coconut, I decided to add a not-so-traditional ingredient….

Honey Bunches of Oats cereal! Coarsely rushed, that is.

I was amazed at how perfectly crisp and light the cereal made the granola.

Aside from the few whole flakes that slipped through the crushing process, you really can’t tell that it’s in the granola. It blends perfectly into all the other dry ingredients, and it also lends a little more sweetness to the granola.

Being that my inspiration for this granola was those yummy white chocolate cranberry cookies (i.e. one of the most perfect pairings ever!), I threw in a generous amount of sweet white chocolate chips and tart dried cranberries.

Whether you decide to eat this granola by the handful, in milk, or in a yogurt parfait, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s probably the best granola you’ve ever had.

Not to sound conceded, or anything.

White Chocolate Cranberry Granola

A healthy blend of brown butter soaked oats, toasted almonds, rich white chocolate chips, and plump dried cranberries!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 9 Cups

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal coarsely crushed*
• 1 cup raw almonds chopped
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

 

• Heat oven to 325ºF. In a large bowl, combine oats, cereal, almonds and coconut. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it'll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
• Once butter has browned, immediately remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup, brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients and toss to coat.
• Spread oat mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet. Use the back of a large spoon or spatula to press mixture into a thin, evenly compact layer.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time.
• Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle white chocolate chips and dried cranberries on top of the granola. Do not stir them in yet. Allow to cool completely. Once granola is cool, break into clusters.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Notes

*If you don't have any Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, you could easily substitute it for more rolled oats.