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Crispy Hazelnut-Honey Granola
Crispy, golden, and packed with toasted nuts, this homemade granola easily beats anything you'll find in a cereal box. Rich honey and melted butter coat a hearty base of oats, sesame seeds, and chopped hazelnuts for a deeply satisfying crunch. Once it's out of the oven, tart dried cherries, sweet apricots, and golden raisins get folded in for a bright, chewy contrast. It's a fantastic staple to keep on hand for morning yogurt bowls or afternoon snacking.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- cup honey
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hazelnuts (filberts) and/or whole natural almonds, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup toasted wheat germ
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup dried tart cherries (4 ounces) or dark seedless raisins
- ½ cup dried apricots (3 ounces) , thinly sliced
- ½ cup golden raisins
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the oats evenly across two rimmed baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring twice, until they're lightly toasted. Toasting the oats first builds a deeper, nuttier flavor base.
- 2Mix the honey, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in the toasted oats, chopped hazelnuts, wheat germ, and sesame seeds until everything is well coated. Divide the mixture evenly back onto the two baking sheets.
- 3Return the pans to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning, until the mixture turns dark golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the granola cool completely. Don't skip the cooling step, as the clusters crisp up as they rest.
- 4Move the cooled granola into a large bowl and mix in the dried cherries, sliced apricots, and golden raisins.
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes approximately 9 cups of granola.
- Storage: Keep the finished granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Swap: You can easily substitute the hazelnuts with whole natural almonds or pecans depending on what you have in the pantry.