Cherry Pecan Granola with Quinoa

Cherry Pecan Granola with Quinoa — sprinkle on top of your bowl of yogurt or package in a mason jar for a cute & tasty holiday gift.

This granola recipe has the perfect crunch, the right amount of sweetness and it’s lightly infused with cinnamon and nutmeg. The dried cherries and toasted pecans add such a great flavor and texture that we know you’ll love. Oats are budget-friendly, high in fiber, and easy to make. They are naturally gluten-free but often times processed in facilities where cross-contamination with gluten containing grains may occur. If you follow a gluten-free diet, we recommend purchasing certified gluten-free oats such as Bob Red Mill’s. In addition, I want to note that since the proteins found in oats have similar make up when compared to the proteins found in gluten containing grains, those who do not tolerate gluten (whether they have celiacs disease or a gluten sensitivity) may not tolerate oats either. So if you’ve been following a gluten-free diet and avoiding oats but you’d like to give them a try, just be sure to start with a small serving and listen to your body making note of any unusual symptoms. Now back to the recipe.

Prepping the Cherry Pecan Granola with Quinoa — while baking, this granola will fill your home with a mouth watering aroma!

Granola is freezer friendly so go ahead and double or triple this recipe.

And as mentioned above this recipe makes for a perfect budget-friendly holiday gift! Who wouldn’t love to be gifted an adorable mason jar full of crunchy deliciousness that’s made with love!? Plus, in addition to storing the granola, a mason jar serves so many purposes — overnight oats, leftover storage, for smoothies, salads, oh and canning too!  Now that’s what we call a perfect gift!

Here is what was used to make these adorable granola filled mason jars:

• 8 oz. Mason Jars
• Small holiday square napkins
• Baking Gift Tags found at the World Market

And now to the recipe!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Cherry Pecan Granola with Quinoa

Cherry Pecan Granola with Quinoa — sprinkle on top of your bowl of yogurt or package in a mason jar for a cute & tasty holiday gift. This granola recipe has the perfect crunch, the right amount of sweetness and it’s lightly infused with cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Author: Simply Nourished Recipes
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 15 servings 1x
• Category: Snack

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (such as NOW Organic Maple Syrup)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (such as Nutiva)
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free such as Bob’s Red Mill Oats, if needed)
• 1/3 cup quinoa (or an additional 1/3 cup oats)
• 1 cup raw pecans*, roughly chopped
• ½ cup dried cherries or cranberries (such as Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Dried Cherries)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine oats, quinoa, and pecans.
5. Pour maple syrup mixture over the oat and nut mixture and using a large spoon or spatula, stir well to evenly coat everything.
6. Spread granola in prepared pan and bake in 325°F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes while baking to prevent granola from burning.
7. Remove pan to cooling rack to cool – stirring occasionally.
8. When granola is completely cooled, stir in dried fruit and transfer to a lidded container for storage.
9. Keeps up to 1 month in the pantry or 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

*Omit for Nut-free option and replace with sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/3 cup
• Calories: 144
• Sugar: 6 g
• Sodium: 12 mg
• Fat: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 21 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 3 g

Oh wait! We have one more recipe for you!

Gingerbread Granola

You can mix up your holiday granola gift flavors with another one of our granola recipes that we shared over on the Lean Green Bean blog. Lindsay, a fellow dietitian and food blogger, has an endless amount of healthy and simple recipes that she shares on her site.  She also shares helpful meal prepping tips and tools as well as other nutrition tidbits. We’re beyond excited that she wanted to share our Gingerbread Granola recipe on her blog!  Head on over to get the Gingerbread Granola recipe as well as many more dietitian-approved recipes.

“Just like the holiday cookie you love, this granola is filled with the flavors of molasses, ginger, allspice and cloves and is delicious by itself or sprinkled over plain yogurt with pomegranate seeds or orange slices.”

What are your favorite granola add-in’s and flavors?  We’d love to hear, comment below!

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she and her husband reside on 5 acres with their two pups, Walter & Lucy. She’s a creator of simple and wholesome recipes, a lover of nature, a crossfitter, a seasonal runner, and she’s on a mission to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life from the inside out.