A delicious blend of brown butter soaked oats, almonds, rich white chocolate chips, and tart dried cranberries.
By Jillian Hatsumi
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. 
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.
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.
PrintBrown Butter Granola with Dried Cranberries
Description
A delicious blend of brown butter soaked oats, almonds, rich white chocolate chips, and tart dried cranberries.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, coarsely crushed, or 2 cups of additional rolled oats
- 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 pure maple syrup
- 1/4 packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F degrees. 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.
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
