I feel like I’ve been trudging through mud all week. That’s a phrase my mom uses fairly often when she’s having a hard time getting stuff done. For some reason, I’ve always imagined that the mud is actually chocolate pudding, which offers a more delicious visual.
So I’ve been trudging through chocolate pudding all week. Obstacles here, there, everywhere! I can’t tell you how many trips to the grocery store I’ve made over the past few days. You know how it goes. The first grocery store is out of Brussels sprouts, the second doesn’t carry spring roll wrappers and the third store’s freezer section doesn’t offer any frozen spinach. Then you finally get home and realize that you forgot to put Parmesan on the list. Good grief.
That’s not just me, right? I’ve decided that my version of paradise includes a grocery store that carries everything I need. No, I take that back—my version of paradise includes a self-stocking kitchen. Why doesn’t that exist yet? It’s 2015!
I found myself day-dreaming about self-stocking kitchens while this granola filled my house with the heavenly scent of fresh orange and warm maple syrup. I’ve been on a granola kick again and this kind is my new favorite. It’s extra clumpy and extra delicious.
I always strive to use only natural sweeteners in my baked goods, but this one required a minor adjustment. I know from past experience that rubbing zest into sugar brings out the flavor of the citrus tenfold, so I rubbed the zest into a couple of tablespoons of sugar. That did just the trick!
I’ve also learned how to make extra clumpy granola. The key is to crowd the granola a bit after you toss it halfway through cooking. Use a spatula to squish it down into a thick, even layer. Then let the granola cool completely before breaking it apart. This batch actually had all night to cool and harden before I took these photos.
This granola is an irresistible snack, of course. It’s also fantastic with plain or vanilla yogurt for breakfast. You could add some fresh fruit if you’d like—clementine segments would be quick and delicious, and you can never go wrong with slices of ripe banana!
Microplane zester
Measuring cups and spoons from Sur la Table
▸ For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my healthy kitchen!
Cranberry Orange Granola
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Simple and healthy, maple-sweetened granola with orange zest and dried cranberries. This granola just happens to be gluten free and vegan, too! This recipe yields about six cups of granola.
Ingredients
- Zest of 1 large orange, preferably organic
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar of choice
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
- 1 ½ cups raw pecans (or other nuts or seeds*)
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it’s bright orange and fragrant. This step will ensure that your granola is infused with orange flavor.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, salt, cinnamon and orange sugar. Stir to combine. Pour in the coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix well.
- Pour the granola onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread the granola into an even layer. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes (if you used honey instead of maple syrup, check at 22 minutes), stirring halfway, until the granola is turning lightly golden in color. The granola will crisp up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool before stirring in the dried cranberries. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey almond granola.
*Nut and seed substitutions: If you are using large, whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.) follow instructions as directed. If you are using small nuts or seeds, like pepitas, or large coconut flakes, wait to stir them into the granola until you remove it from the oven halfway through cooking.
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Sini
Oh my goodness! This granola looks absolutely amazing, Kate. I love how you first rub the orange zest into the sugar, which releases all those wonderful flavors and aromas! Adding this to my must-make list.
Kate
Thank you, Sini! Hope you love it. Have a wonderful weekend!
Kiirsti
Wow it’s like I sensed your post – this morning I was thinking, “I need to find a good granola recipe”…think I’ve found one! Looking forward to trying this!
Kate
Perfect! Hope this one does the trick!
Melissa
It’s not you; Mercury is in retrograde! Definitely making this on Sunday for breakfasts next week.
Kate
You know, I’ve never believed in astrology, but I’m starting to think there’s something to this Mercury in retrograde business. Life’s been funny lately! Hope you love the granola.
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth
I hear ya about the grocery stores. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have to go to 3 every week to find everything I need. Let me know when you find/invent the self-stocking kitchen so I can sign up! This granola looks delicious — especially as part of a cereal breakfast!
Mary
Fantastic granola – I love the combination of pecans, orange and cranberries. YUM.
Mary
celyn
this looks so good!
Jordina
This granola sounds so good! Once I ate orange granola, but it was bought from a store and it was disgusting.. I may try to do my own with orange zest!
Kate
Uh oh, I bet they used artificial flavorings. This granola is the real deal!
Brittany
I feel ya on the grocery store woes. It happens to me ALL THE TIME. Gah!
Oh well, it looks like this granola turned out to be delightful AND it’s almost Friday. :)
Kate
I’ve seriously been to the grocery store about ten times this week. No more!!!
Lynne
Thanks Kate for this recipe. It sounds absolutely divine. I am always looking for fresh wholesome ideas and of course your recipes never disappoint. Breakfast is going to be awesome….love the thought of the orange flavour :-)
Kate
Thank you, Lynne. I hope it turns out marvelously for you!
Cara's Healthy Cravings
You need one of those things from Star Trek, where you walk up to it, ask for something, and it appears! But then I guess there would be no need for cooking either…
I love the citrus in this granola, such a lovely flavour combo.
Kate
Haha, that would be magical! Thanks, Cara.
Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run
mmm, and how simple. i love orange/cran together.
J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats
I’ve been making my own granola for a while (the grocery store stuff is so expensive/sugary) and this creating clumps tip is positively going to change my life. Really the only thing I miss about store bought granola!
And the orange zest sugar!!! It really does bring out the essential oils like crazy. Although I tried to do it with coconut sugar once and it just turned into a paste!
Clever Girl Reviews
Sounds and looks delicious! I haven’t granola in ages.
Lauren
Well this certainly is one way to update breakfast – so yummy and the flavour combo is incredible!
Lauren x
Sara @ Cake Over Steak
Sounds sooooo good! Can’t wait to try this one.
Stefanie
You take the most beautiful pictures! Everything you make looks absolutely delicious. Food really is so beautiful!
Kate
Thank you, Stefanie! Food is beautiful, it makes my job easy! :)
Christy@SweetandSavoring
I love the shots of the orange zest! So much color and texture! And of course, I’m imagining the smell of orange and maple syrup emanating from the kitchen right now…can’t wait to make this!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
im on a granola train too right now, i made mine with honey, coconut and walnuts. I cant wait to try this esp with orange sugar.. i hope in 2016 we will have a self stocking kitchen, life will be complete after that…no?
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
I love granola too! And this recipe seems like the perfect pick-me-up that my breakfast has been begging for.
I love the visual of trudging through chocolate pudding rather than mud. I am definitely going to use that one next time I feel like I am lagging. Oh, and a self-stocking kitchen would be great :)
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
My sister-in-law made me some orange and cranberry granola for my birthday- it is SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe, I forgive you for the sugar :)
jean
wow another great recipe. how do you come up with these great recipes? do you spend a lot of time mixing different flavors and seeing how they come out??
amazing…
Kate
Thanks, Jean! I get ideas from all over the place. I often reference a book called “The Flavor Bible,” which is basically a thesaurus of flavors that work well together.
Rigel
I was thinking of making this tomorrow. Has anyone else had problems with using coconut sugar. I also have sucanet and was wondering how these sugars might effect the Orange infusion?
Kate
Hey Rigel, I think sucanat would work fine but someone mentioned that they tried rubbing zest into coconut sugar once and it liquified!
Eileen
Yay, homemade granola! I love the idea of using the classic cranberry orange combination here.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy
YUM. This looks crazy good! I am pinning it.
And I totally feel you about multiple grocery store trips. I am headed out to make my 3rd trip this week. *Sigh*
madelein.se
Looks like a perfect breakfast!
Aggie
I hate those kind of weeks!
I can not get over the zest in this granola…genius. And I am the same about natural sweeteners in granola but I love that sugar/zest tip, what a great recipe! I need to get back into making granola regularly again.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I have a feeling I’d absolute inhale this granola! And I know those kinds of weeks too well… that’s kind of the whole month of January, I think! ;)
Lilly
Love the combo of orange and cranberries and colors are just so bright. How can you adapt this recipe to make granola bars? Thanks!
Kate
Hey Lilly! I have a granola bar recipe that you could easily adapt to taste like this one. Just add chopped, toasted pecans instead of almonds, cranberries instead of chocolate and mix in the orange zest sugar (as described in the granola recipe). https://cookieandkate.com/2014/healthy-almond-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/
Lin
Wonderful granola. I left out the granulated sugar and only used 1/4 cup maple syrup and it is plenty sweet. Thanks for the great recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Lin!
Molly
I made this granola last night in between Superbowl-food-making so I’d have healthy breakfasts for the week..taking a break from my green smoothies and avocado toast. It is AMAZING..maybe the best granola I’ve ever had. The orange zest sugar thing takes it to the next level..thanks SO MUCH for the amazing recipe!
Kate
Hooray, thank you! I’m obsessed with this granola, too… it might be my life’s masterpiece! ;)
Merrilee
In the oven right now, used this recipe (orange zest sugar – new concept for me and it rocks!) and added some other goodies from my pantry (almonds, shredded coconut etc). Excited to hear some new recipes as you hang out in Austin, that city is on my list to see. (I’m a country girl so the must-see city list is short!)
Kate
Thanks, Merrilee! Hope your granola turns out fantastically!
jaime : the briny
did somebody say “chocolate pudding”? with chocolate on the mind, i imagined this as *chocolate orange* granola (the idea of which has consumed me). i’m picturing chunks of dark chocolate in place of cranberries. ahh. i like the sound of this technique of rubbing the zest into sugar — do you think coconut sugar might work, too?
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
I have a serious homemade granola addiction, and I think this one needs to be next on my list of recipes to try! The combination of the orange and cranberries with the maple syrup-sweetened granola sounds incredible!
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking
Oh my goodness this granola looks so delicious and I will be making us a batch of it asap!!
Robin
Hi Kate! I made the granola and it turned out really well. It was a bit sweet for my taste, so next time I’ll use less sweetener, but the orange flavour was really good. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Kate
Awesome, thanks Robin!
Liv Martins
Hey, Kate! I made it yesterday. Really easy and tasty. It’s now our favorite.The orange flavour is really special and unique. We only did some substitutions and it turned out great. We replaced the cranberries by raisins (because in Brazil cranberries are not so commom and really expensive, btw) and the coconut oil by sunflower seed oil ( Ithought maybe the olive oil wouldn’t taste nice). We also made a mix of nuts (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and brazil nut) instead of using only pecans. Thanks for the recipe! :)
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome! Your version sounds delicious. Thanks, Liv.
Ela
Mmmm! Made this and the orangey-citrus flavor is really nice, along with the dried cranberries. Super unique and yummy! (chowing down on it right now ;D)
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Ela! Glad you’re enjoying the granola.
Jenny
This looks really yummy! I wanted to ask you a question. I’m thiking about starting my own food blog. I see on all food blogs around beautiful pictures of their recipes and procedures. Do you take the pictures yourself? If so, what camera do you use? This is one of my concerns of starting the new blog. I don’t know, if it will workout. I love to cook and bake, but I am not a professional chef. I have a lot to learn. I am scared that it will not be good enough. but I might just give it a try.
Jenny
I’m sorry! I just read your bio. I got the answer.
Laura
So I actually made this granola Friday night because I wanted it first thing Saturday before hot yoga. I used half oats and puffed cereal, almonds, walnuts, honey and whatever else was a staple ingredients. The orange zest gives it a bright flavor. I let it set out overnight but was disappointed at how little of it stayed together in a bar/clump vs. breaking up. I don’t do dairy so I eat it by the spoon. I’d love to know how to get the granola to stick together more firmly.
Kate
Hi Laura, I’m sorry your granola didn’t stick together. I’m not sure if it had to do with your substitutions or the method. It is important to get the ratio right. Did you press down the granola with the back of a spoon/spatula after stirring it halfway through cooking?
Barb
I think I have made 100 (no exaggeration) batches of this since March or maybe more since we found this recipe. It has become quite an addiction in our family! I even have the recipe memorized since we always make a double batch. And with a family of granola eating 5…we can’t get enough. It is just simply the best granola I have ever had. Love your blog!
Thanks!
Kate
Wow, that’s a lot of granola! Thrilled to hear that you all enjoy my granola so much. Thank you for letting me know! :)
Isabella
This granola is heaven <3
It tastes sooo so good by itself, I haven't even tried it with milk as cereal yet and I'm already in love. I love the flavour combination.
This is my new favourite thing
★★★★★
Kate
Yay! Thanks you, Isabella!
xena
This was outstanding. My house smelled heavenly.my new favourite snack!
Kate
Yay, thanks Xena!
Jennifer McQuiston
Just discovered this and made it, and wow! My morning breakfast was amazing. Shared it with everyone I know on Facebook. I used walnuts instead of pecans and cheated by adding 1 tsp orange extract to the maple syrup, as I didn’t have fresh oranges to zest. Still amazing!
Kate
Delighted to hear it! Thank you for sharing with your friends, Jennifer!
Tess
Best granola I’ve ever had. Really the perfect blend of flavors. The neighborhood kids come running when I make this! Thanks for the great recipe!
Kate
Woohoo! Thanks, Tess!
XENA
I just made this granola again last night as I am totally addicted!! I do have a question for you: if I wanted to turn this into granola bars, what modifications would I make to the recipe? congratulations on your upcoming cookbook! Yay!
Kate
So sorry for my delay! I’m happy to hear that you loved the granola and LOVE the idea of cranberry-orange granola bars. I would actually base the granola bars on this recipe, substituting toasted pecans for the almonds, adding orange zest and maybe using maple syrup instead of honey (up to you). Maybe I’ll make some cranberry-orange bars for the blog!
Laura
I saw this linked on the holiday list and I had to chime in. I make lots and lots of granola, often trying a new recipe every week. This was, by far, one of the BEST granola recipes I have ever made. It was not only delicious and pretty, but it inspired me to think outside of my usual (granola) box! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Woohoooo! Thank you, Laura. :)
Bethan
Saw this on the holiday list and absolutely had to make it. Just finished a bowlful with some coconut yoghurt while sitting in front of the fire and watching a Christmas film. Absolutely delicious, and can’t wait to have it again for breakfast with some orange segments. doubled the batch and stuck half in a Kilner jar that I’m going to give a friend for Christmas. I know she’ll love it just as much I do! I did add some orange juice from half of one of oranges, just to give it another kick along with the zest, and stirred in half a cup or so of cacao nibs before baking.
Thanks for another delicious recipe, Kate, and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. x
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Bethan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola. Happy holidays!
Tyler
Total keeper recipe. Made it and added a squirt of orange juice. Replaced the white sugar with xylitol and it worked great for the zest. Used seeds instead of nuts (nut free school). Added a handful of dark chocolate chips and all of a sudden, my kids love granola. Thank you!
★★★★★
K
This granola is amazing. Thanks for your detailed instructions (like pressing down hard with the back of the spoon)–I think those make all the difference! I’ve never had granola turn out right before.
★★★★★
Lea
I used whole pecans and maple syrup. Only cooked for 24 minutes, stirred half way through, and some of it got burnt. I also made the mistake of putting the cranberries in with the granola to bake. What a disaster! Should have read the recipe closely.
wayliing
thankiew for this wonderful recipe! loved it! one of my staples now! <3<3
★★★★★
Ruth Ann Brown
I’ve made this several times, each time with my own little twist, like half pecans, half pistachios plus adding the juice of that orange but the zest with the sugar is the best, I’ll never change that. My husband turns his nose up at any other granola now.
Nway Nway
I just made this granola and I omitted cranberry which I don’t like. But it turns out really awesome with fresh orange aroma. It is a perfect match for my breakfast yogurt. Thanks a lot.
★★★★★
olivia
Just made this for some yogurt-fruit-granola parfaits tomorrow a.m.
Suuuper tasty…but it didn’t clump at all :/ I followed the recipe verbatim…but no clusters whatsoever.
Not a deal breaker because it’s still delectable, but a few clumps wouldn’t hurt:)
Thanks!
★★★★★
Stephanie
I just made this (literally, I just sat down from putting it in containers), it was my first ever attempt at granula and it is delicious!! The recipe turned out just perfect. Thank you for this!!
Carolyn Elliott
I make this recipe a LOT! Everyone in my family loves it, and it just doesn’t last long. This year, I’ve made some as Christmas gifts. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
★★★★★
Jen
Just made this granola, and my kitchen smells amazing! I’m currently pregnant and have been loving all things citrus lately, so it was good timing that I came across this recipe. I did use coconut sugar, and it made more of paste and did not resemble the bright orange color in your picture, but I didn’t have any trouble getting it to blend into the oat mixture. Thanks for all the great, healthy recipes—my husband and I make something from your blog at least once a week!
★★★★★
Kate
What perfect timing to crave citrus! Winter is a great time for a citrus treat. So glad you loved it, Jen.
Heather
Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe! I made this yesterday and am eating it now over vanilla bean Greek yogurt…and OMG it’s amazing! I’ll be making this again and again and can’t wait to try more of your recipes :) Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Delighted to hear this, Heather! Let me know which other recipes you try.
Louise
Hi Kate,
1) I adore all the recipes I’ve tried on your blog—and I’ve just gotten my copy of your cookbook! I can’t wait to dig into those.
2) I loved this granola—but mine stuck to the pan quite badly, so I had to scrape it off. Is it because I didn’t use parchment paper? (I imagine that if I had, it would have just stuck to the paper, but maybe I’m wrong.) I also used all honey rather than maple syrup. Could that have been a factor?
Thanks! Keep rocking!
Kate
Hey, Louise. I’m so glad you love the book! And yes, that’s exactly what the parchment paper is for– this will stick to metal pans, but the parchment paper keeps it loose while it cooks.
Louise
Thank so much for your reply! I’ve been enjoying this granola every morning since I made my first batch. I can’t wait to make it again with parchment paper!
Liz
Thoughts on how this would work with minute-oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats? I have a lot of minute-oats sitting in my pantry and would rather use up those if possible.
Brenda
I made both the “very best granola ” and this cranberry orange. Both are awesome but the crab-orange is especially awesome! Thanks for sharing these great recipes. Our wellness committee at work is hosting a healthy breakfast this week, but I think my family might eat it all before then. So I’ll be back at the grocery store for more ingredients to make two more batches :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you enjoy this version, Brenda! I hope your colleagues enjoy it, too.
Rosie
Sugar is a natural sweetener!
Alixx
I love this granola! I make it all the time. Instead of cranberries I use dried cherries for a little extra tartness.
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for your review.
christina
Made this last night (first granola attempt!) and it was really good! I used a combination of walnuts and almonds, and olive oil instead of coconut oil. My only issue was that I didn’t realize wax paper is NOT the same as parchment paper, and some of my granola stuck pretty badly. Entirely my fault, and lesson learned :)
Regardless, this will be a repeat for me! I’ve been enjoying it with coconut yogurt for breakfast and sneaking little granola snacks all day!
★★★★★
Bonnie
Very delicious – best muesli/granola i have ever tasted!
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic, Bonnie! Thanks for your review.
Lauren
How long should this last for?
Kate
Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life. Hope this helps!
Judy O>
This granola is a lovely combo of flavors. I made it twice; once as directed and the second time with the following modifications (loosely following ingredient amts for a granola recipe I’ve made regularly for 20+ years): added about a half tsp of orange oil to the sugar to up the orange flavor; upped the amt of oats, using 5 cups of rolled oats and adding a cup of wheat germ to boost the nutrition value; chopped the pecans rather than leaving whole for better distribution; left out the salt as it was too noticeable and decreased the cinnamon to a1/4 tsp., again not to overpower the orange flavor. Also, preferred honey as a more delicate sweetener that doesn’t compete with the subtle orange flavor. Now my husband and I “negotiate” over which granola recipe we make–the old standby or this new one, which is my favorite! Thanks much for the recipe.
Kate
Thanks for sharing how you make this, Judy! I love that you and your husband have a granola debate. That’s great!
Tracy Rowland
Made this for some co-workers and it was a huge hit… I loved how it tasted and how it made my house smell. Thank you! Tracy
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Tracy! Thanks for the review.
Kim
Best granola I’ve ever had! Great tip about enhancing the orange flavour by rubbing it in sugar. I’ll try that technique with other citrus subbing salt for sugar in savoury recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Kim!
Jessi Summers
Hmmmm, this didn’t quite work as well as I’d hoped on first go. Holding off on rating because I think it’s partially my fault – I only had coarse sea salt, which might be too much – but I also don’t taste the orange very much. Should I increase the zest next time?
Kate
I’m sorry it didn’t quite turnout for you. The salt would make a difference for sure. Did you make the orange sugar mix?
Kathy Rowley
Love it! I’ve made it three times!
★★★★★
Kate
Love that, Kathy! Thanks for the review.
Nan Helmling
I just made this granola to take to California for my dad’s birthday. Of
course I had to taste it and I can say this is one of the most delicious
granola recipes I have ever made, and I’ve made a lot. Thank you for this
wonderful treat and I will be making another batch for myself.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Nan!
Katharina
Absolutely beautiful, much better than store bought, crunchy but not so crunchy that it hurts your teeth or would take out a filling of your teeth which happened to me eating an Acai bowl out not so long ago! Made one with coconut oil and now I’m trying one with olive oil as coconut oil has gone hard. Thank you, Kate, ever so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Marcy
My new favorite granola
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Marcy!
Midlife9
This is THE BEST Granola recipe I have made. And I’ve made a lot of granola. This is a granola that draws you in to nibble and take a spoonful and come back for more and come back again. This granola is my breakfast potluck go-to!
★★★★★
Julia W.
found this recipe a few months ago. Oh my, so delicious! I make a batch about every two weeks. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Julia! Thank you for your review.
Cathy
I have made your granola several times now. I add different fruits/nuts but it ALWAYS comes out great. Today I am making dark cherry with orange zest in it. I can’t wait to taste it because my house smells so good right now. Totally put me in a Christmas mood! Thank you for this simple and easy recipe that is healthy and tastes great.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing your variations, Cathy!
Kristina Quiram
I made this three times in the past couple of weeks, gifting some in jars for Christmas and eating the rest as quickly as I made it. My kids and husband all love it!
The only wrinkle I’m trying to iron out is that every time the nuts start to slightly burn. I don’t mind the toasty taste, but I’m wondering if I should cut down on time or oven temperature-? I still want to achieve a nice crunchy granola. So far even reducing the time to 20 minutes total does remedy the problem. Thoughts?
★★★★★
Kerri
Kristina, I did one with raisins and just poked them in a bit to avoid that burnt skin flavour. Perhaps cutting the pecans up might make them less likely to poke out? Also, I took mine out early (because I only did half the quantity, not because of burning) and, although the mix looked nice and toasty, only some of the mix clumped (though the rest was a lovely toasted muesli, anyway) so I thought I would try a lower temp next time rather then a shorter oven time. All ovens are slightly different. Hope this helps, anyway. Kerri
Michelle
Trying to modify. My husband has lung disease and I can’t go to the stores. But I found your granola recipes and think I can make a half portion. Thank you!
Stay home and stay safe!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Michelle! I hope you and your husband stay safe. I hope you can make this and that it provides some comfort.
Carol
The best granola, hands down! Thank you so much for all your recipes and your awesome cook book.
★★★★★
Dell Causseaux
I made this recipe yesterday. I’ve never been a big fan of granola…until now!! When I saw it had orange zest in it, I wanted to try it. It was easy, and tastes awesome!!! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!! Sooo much flavor!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I love to hear this recipe won you over. Thanks for sharing!
CJ
Amazing recipe. I’ve made a lot of granola, but never thought to use citrus zest. I went with pecans and walnuts, subbed agave for the honey/maple and added coconut flakes and a little vanilla extract. Pressed and cooled how you said and ended up with some good chunks. Will definitely be making this again. And again.
★★★★★
Sandy
Wonderful recipe. I substituted 1 cup of apple sauce and reduced the maple syrup and oil to 1/4 cup each, trying to reduce calories. It was perfect!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear that worked for you, Sandy!
Emma
The granola looks amazing, I don’t suppose you have the measurements in gms do you as I’m in the uk and don’t know how much a cup is!
Thank you
Julia L Weinberg
Wonderful granola! Thank you so much for this recipe! I have made the exact recipe (which is delicious) and have made some with a few tweeks. I like coconut in my granola so I add a cup of unsweetened coconut. I also add the juice of the orange to the oil and maple sugar mixture and cook at 300 degrees for a longer period so the coconut doesn’t burn. This helps dry out the granola from the juice without burning. Just adds a bit more orange flavor.
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Julia!
Leah
This is the first time I’ve ever made granola. OMG Yum ..I made this yesterday and had it for breakfast this morning. I used a mix of pistachios and cashews. Amazing.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Leah! Thank you for your review.
Becca
Love this recipe. We prefer the maple syrup over honey, both were excellent. I use the zest in the sugar trick in other recipes, like cranberry orange bread, gets the flavor all through out. I have found a company called decas farms that actually sells orange flavored cranberries. Amazing in your recipe. We are still avoiding multiple trips to store and making things homemade has really been fun. Making again today.
★★★★★
Elaine
So easy and favorable as well as nutritious. Takes me back 40 years when I made my own granola and teething biscuits for my toddlers.
Tip: measure the oil first then the honey or maple syrup flows easily & completely from the measuring cup. Merry Christmas
Sharon Treml
This is by far the best granola recipe I’ve had! I love the suggestions such as the cranberry orange. Turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Sharon! Thank you for your review.
Michele Alise
LOVED this recipe!! Subbed pecans for hazelnuts. Second time I cheated a little and added 2x orange zest and some ginger. Dangerous!!
Stacey Patrick
We are addicted to this granola and I make about two batches a week! The technique of rubbing the orange zest into the sugar really does infuse the orange essence into the granola. Such a perfect flavor complement to the dried cranberries and the coconut oil and maple syrup combo is perfect. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Stacey.
Michelle Margo
Definitely the best granola I’ve ever made. And probably the best granola I’ve ever eaten!!! Delicious!
★★★★★
Melissa H.
Perfectly delicious!!! Made this for a gluten-free, refined-sugar free friend (used coconut sugar instead of white sugar) after she got out of the hospital and she loved it with her yogurt or just to snack on. It’s hard to find recipes for someone like her but this was wonderful – thank you!
★★★★★
Jenni
Hi! I love your original granola recipe and plan to try this one, too. Quick question: the yield for the original recipe says 8 cups, but this one says 6 cups (despite the same amounts of oats and nuts; here there is actually more dried fruit). Not sure why this would be. Thanks, Kate!
Kate
Hey Jenni, good question and I can definitely see the confusion! I remember from my cookbook’s granola recipe that the yield in cups varies depending on how much the granola clumps or doesn’t clump. Technically, it’s yielding the exact same amount, just varies in cups from batch to batch. Hope that makes sense.