this granola is toasted on a skillet instead of baked in the oven. it’s crunchy, crumbly, and sweet, with the dried cherries adding a tart twist. above all, it’s addictive, as any good granola is!
This granola is definitely my new favorite granola (although I probably say that about every new granola I make, I really mean it!!!). It’s so easy to make, I love that I can do it on the stove-top instead of the oven, although you do need to really watch it on the stove-top, I always get other stuff done while it’s toasting (i.e. empty the dishwasher 😉). And sometimes stove-top granola really hits different!! The honey caramalizes everything so you still get those sticky and crunchy clusters, it’s just a bit more crumbly — it’s not the same type of large clusters you can expect when baking in the oven, but it’s still amazing.
For this recipe, I used a combination of pecans, walnuts, unsweetened shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds, however, you can easily swap any of these nuts for another one depending what you have on hand, just keep the measurements the same. Use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds, almonds instead of walnuts. I definitely suggest keeping the shredded coconut though! Of course, the star of this recipe are the dried cherries from Organic Traditions. You can also swap in raisins or another dried fruit if you can’t find dried cherries, but the tartness of the dried cherries is really such a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the granola! I had never tried dried cherries before this recipe and it’s definitely an ingredient I’ll be using again.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Try it below and let me know in the comment section what you think. Find me over on IG with more food shared daily.
A few more recipes if you’re looking for some yummy (grain free) granola ideas:
- THE SIGNATURE GRAIN FREEE GRANOLA
- APRICOT ALMOND BUTTER GRANOLA
- TOASTED PECAN ALMOND COCONUT CRUMBLE
- APPLE PECAN GRANOLA
vanilla-scented toasted coconut & cherry granola: ingredients
- 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup pecan
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cherries or as many as your heart desires
- 4 tbsp honey make sure it’s liquid, melt if necessary in microwave
- 3 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp coconut oil for the pan
vanilla-scented toasted coconut & cherry granola: how to
- start by chopping up your raw nuts (pecans and walnuts), and throw them in a medium-sized bowl.
- add your shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds.
- toss the nuts and seeds in cinnamon, vanilla and honey (liquid-y honey is best, you can always melt it in the microwave for a few seconds if needed).
- heat up a cast iron skillet or preferred pan on stove-top over medium to medium-low heat, add 1-2 tsp of coconut oil.
- add in the granola mixture and stir continuously for 25 minutes-30 minutes, until it’s golden brown and toasted. you don’t want to turn up the heat too hot as it’ll start to burn. while it’s cooking, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a piece of parchment paper.
- once toasted, turn out the granola mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, and spread out evenly to the edges of the sheet.
- allow to cool completely before breaking up into chunks and adding in your dried cherries. enjoy! keep an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
vanilla-scented toasted coconut & cherry granola
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup pecan
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cherries or as many as your heart desires
- 4 tbsp honey make sure it's liquid, melt if necessary in microwave
- 3 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp coconut oil for the pan
Instructions
- start by chopping up your raw nuts (pecans and walnuts), and throw them in a medium-sized bowl.
- add your shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds.
- toss the nuts and seeds in cinnamon, vanilla and honey (liquid-y honey is best, you can always melt it in the microwave for a few seconds if needed).
- heat up a cast iron skillet or preferred pan on stove-top over medium to medium-low heat, add 1-2 tsp of coconut oil.
- add in the granola mixture and stir continuously for 25 minutes-30 minutes, until it's golden brown and toasted. you don't want to turn up the heat too hot as it'll start to burn. while it's cooking, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a piece of parchment paper.
- once toasted, turn out the granola mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, and spread out evenly to the edges of the sheet.
- allow to cool completely before breaking up into chunks and adding in your dried cherries. enjoy! keep an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.