Pecan Almond Granola Clusters

I’ve been getting some requests for how to make quick and easy meals and, while these granola cluster involve a little more effort, it ends up making future meals quick and easy.

For example, the berry vanilla parfait pictured above takes less than 5 minutes to prep. Simply add a layer of vanilla yogurt, berries of your choice (I used strawberries and blueberries), and then top with my granola clusters (+cinnabon frosting!). It makes for a great on-the-go snack with a fancy touch of flavor. FYI – these granola clusters also go great with oatmeal, cupcakes, or cereal!

Enjoy this recipe and definitely tag me on social media if you decide to make this. You can tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using #thefoodiecutie 🙂

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water, warmed
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnabon icing (optional)

• ½ cup cream cheese
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

*You can also melt some dark chocolate and drizzle over the clusters in place of the cinnabon frosting 🙂

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Start by taking 1 cup of the rolled oats and grinding it down to a coarse powder in a food processor. Add the grinded oats to a large mixing bowl along with the remaining one cup of oats, pecans, almonds, and cinnamon.
2. Now, in a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter then mix in the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and warmed water. When this mixture starts to bubble/foam and it feels slightly thick when you stir, turn off the heat and mix in the sea salt and vanilla.
3. Pour the butter/sugar mix into the large mixing bowl and mix well so that the oats and nuts are evenly coated. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes so the butter/sugar mix soaks in to the oats. (This shouldn’t be too firm. It should hold together a little, but be easy for it to fall apart).
4. Now, set the oven to 350 degrees and dump the oat mix onto a baking sheet. Spread the mixture evenly and pack down the granola really well by pressing it with a spatula.
5. Bake this for about 25 minutes. Once you see a golden color form on the granola, remove it from the oven and let it cool down. Once it is cool, break it up into medium sized chunks and then bake again for another 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, it should have more of a crunch to it. Let this cool and then break it up into clusters on the baking sheet.
7. While this cools, make the Cinnabon icing by creaming the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Keep your hand mixer on medium to cream this. Once the butter and cream cheese combine, add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Once this blends together, add the vanilla and milk. Blend this together. You want the drizzle to drip easily off from a spoon. If it is too thick, add a little more milk.
8. Drizzle the Cinnabon icing over the granola clusters by taking a spoon, dipping it in the icing, and quickly swaying it over the granola clusters from left to right. Let this cool and then store in an airtight container.

What do you want to learn how to make next?