Vanilla Toasted Almond Granola

Vanilla Toasted Almond Granola with toasted coconut, maple syrup and dried cherries. Delicious healthy granola that’s easy to make at home.

Vanilla Toasted Almond Granola is from Out of This World.  Let me explain.  If you follow Panning The Globe, you probably know that my goal is to share great recipes from every country in the world. Did you know that you can track my progress around the globe and also search for recipes by continent and by country?

Check out the continent menu at the top of the page.  Hover over a continent and some countries will appear in a drop down menu. Those are the countries that I’ve “been to” so far. Click on any country and you’ll see what recipe(s) I’ve shared from that country. You’ll also notice – next to the continents – is a category called “Out of  This World.”  Sometimes I can’t resist sharing a recipe that has nothing to do with exploring world cuisine. You’ll find those recipes in the “Out Of This World” menu. So now you know what I mean when I say that this Vanilla Toasted Almond Granola is from “Out of this World”.

Panning The Globe is about a year old.  Way back at the beginning – last October – I shared a recipe for Almond Maple Granola.  It’s a good one – loaded with dried fruit and flavored with honey and cinnamon. But this new vanilla toasted almond granola is delicious in a different way: vanilla and coconut flavors infuse the toasted oats and almonds. It’s got a sweet/salty/crunchy thing going on that is irresistible. The chewy, intensely-flavored, sweet and tart dried cherries are the perfect counterpoint for the toasted crunchiness of everything else.

Also, this new and different granola is a testament to some of the tricks I’ve learned over the past year such as: cardamom is a secret treasure of a spice that adds a lovely aromatic note to baked goods — coconut oil is better than canola for making granola – it coats the oats and almonds beautifully and adds a sweetness and depth of flavor to the mix — taking photos in natural light is way better than kitchen incandescents  (see the photo I took of granola a year ago in my kitchen compared the ones above and below, that I took outside in daylight).

If you want a delicious healthy breakfast in the morning, try this with milk or yogurt.  If you want to satisfy your sweet/salty craving in the afternoon, grab a handful and enjoy a healthful snack. If you want to dress up a bowl of ice cream, heap some vanilla toasted almond granola on top and enjoy!

VANILLA TOASTED ALMOND GRANOLA

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Panning The Globe
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 8
• Category: Granola
• Cuisine: Out of this World

Ingredients

• Dry Ingredients
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups raw sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup dried cherries
• Liquid Ingredients
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (Solid until it’s heated)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Dry Ingredients In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients except the cherries: Oats, almonds, coconut, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
3. Liquid Ingredients In a small saucepan combine maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients. Mix to combine.
4. Spread mixture evenly into a jellyroll pan and cook in the center of the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove tray from oven. Toss granola. Add cherries and return granola to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until is nicely browned. Cool completely. Granola will not be crunchy until it cools. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.