Munch on some crunchy Pistachio & Cranberry Granola or throw it on some yogurt and berries.
So the other night I almost slept on the couch. Not because my husband I were in a fight but because of a bug. Yes, a bug. As I was climbing into bed I spotted a little bug on the wall but as Nick tried to smash it it fell between our bed and the wall. I refused to sleep there, afraid that during the night it would crawl into my ear or something. So we pulled back the bed and stared at the floor waiting for the bug to make his last appearance. He did but buried himself in the shaggy carpet again. I decided to take more extreme measures and pulled out the vacuum. Pretty sure we got him… along with a lot of dust that has collected there over the last year and a half. I don’t think our neighbors were too thrilled to hear vacuuming at 10:30 at night but hey, I slept soundly in my cozy bed. Totally worth it. And then I woke up and made this addicting granola.
Lately I’ve been obsessed with pistachios. But how could one not be?! They are fun to break out of their shell, deliciously salty, and a fun green color (perfect for St. Patrick’s Day coming up)!
This granola is soooo addicting! I ate almost a whole cup the first day. It’s perfectly sweet, slightly salty, crunchy, and just gorgeous in color and texture. I absolutely love how crunchy it is with the pistachios, sunflower seeds, golden oats, and Grape-Nuts. Oh an this recipe has no added fat. Yep, that’s right. And it’s still amazingly delicious!
My favorite way to enjoy this granola is just to munch on it plain but it’s also quite good in a parfait with vanilla yogurt and fresh berries. Such a yummy and easy breakfast.
Don’t you just love the look of those green pistachios with the maroon cranberries?! 
I hope you enjoy this granola as much as I do!
Pistachio & Cranberry Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2/3 cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup Grape-Nuts
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, pistachios, Grape-Nuts, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a small pan, cook brown sugar and apple juice over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes). Mix in the vanilla and then pour over the dry ingredients and mix until everything is moist.
- Spread granola evenly onto the parchment lined baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, stirring halfway through.
- Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.
- Serve with milk, yogurt, fruit, or enjoy plain.
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