Cherry Coconut Granola is a delicious and easy recipe to prepare! Homemade granola is a also easy on the wallet and you can vary your ingredients to your favorite flavors!
Welcome to 2016, albeit a little late for me! I hope everyone is having a great year so far! I have had an interesting few days!  Half my family had the flu and we are  down to my youngest having a respiratory infection and hoping she will be feeling better tomorrow!  I have to share that you should be glad this is not YouTube because currently I am on a 24 hour EEG monitor.  You are probably wondering what the heck and why? Yup, me too! If you were not aware, I had a stroke 2 years ago, so this is part of the resolution process for my doctor.  Currently, I am wired up to probes on my head that are connected to a monitor until tomorrow! I look ridiculous!  Well, enough of that now let’s get on to a happy and healthy 2016!  I certainly hope this is it for the year and we are on an upswing!
Have you made a New Year Resolution? Â I am hoping to be more organized! I have had my blog for just a few months and I want to thank everyone! I honestly am so thrilled to have made many new friends and I can’t believe that in 5 months I have been so fortunate to have quadrupled my viewers. I know I still have a long way to go and so much to learn, but looking forward to the ride! Â I want to bring more recipes and some fun things to everyone!
So here it is, a wee bit late, but my first recipe of 2016.  If you haven’t guessed already, it is Cherry Coconut Granola! I am not kidding, you will never buy an expensive box of granola again!  Really, no joke, it is so easy and addicting and guess what, it is not full of extra preservatives and words with lots of vowels that I have no idea what they mean except that they can’t be good for anyone’s body!
What I love with any homemade granola is the versatility! I recommend a few cooking tips based on many batches of granola!
- Use steel-cut oats and not instant or quick cooking oats, that is just the way it is, quick cooking doesn’t work as well
- Mix the wet ingredients together and add them to the dry ingredients, granola will coat better
- Use  parchment paper on your cookie sheet for easy clean, quick and easy clean-up
- Â Add a little salt, adds flavor
- Add dried fruit after cooking, adds a nice texture balance
- Use either Raw Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, or Agave – they are pure and super tasty
- Finally, experiment with different oats, grains, nuts, fruits, and sweeteners – quinoa, chia seeds, pepitas, pecans, walnuts, coconut oil, you get the idea!
- I prefer the oven temperature at 325 degrees, that is just what works for me
Well, now that I have gotten all my opinions out, I hope you love this recipe! Have your granola with almond milk, yogurt parfait, as a mid-morning snack, any way you like your granola! Â I bet you will become a homemade granola connoisseur after this batch. Â I would love to hear your combinations, keep me informed people!
I hope  you like this recipe as much as my family, and if so, please share the love on Facebook, Pinterest, or your favorite way of relating to your friends and family, and please continue connecting with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin, Google Plus !  Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter to never miss a recipe!
Thank you for always sharing my passion and love for food and family!
xo!
Cherry Coconut Granola
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients
- 3 cups steel-cut oats
- 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pepitas, unsalted
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 Tbs. turbinado sugar
- 2/3 cup raw honey
- 3 Tbls. coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Toss the steel-cut oats, shredded unsweetened coconut, hemp seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, unsalted pepitas, chopped walnuts, turbinado sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
- In a separate bowl, combine the raw honey, coconut oil. ( Make sure the coconut oil is liquified - if solid, either microwave or heat in a pot on the stove to liquify), and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet ingredients into the dried granola mix and blend well.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and add the blended granola mixture to the cookie sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 25-30 minutes, granola should be golden. Let cool and add in the raisins and dried cherries. Store in an airtight container
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This recipe has a lot of what I love in it – granola is one of my favorite snacks and ingredients. You use turbinado sugar often – is there a particular reason? Is there anything you would substitute?
Elizabeth, I do like turbinado better than regular white sugar because I find I can use less because it is flavorful, its really just me preference. Turbinado is also non-gmo and gluten free and my kids are really into eating healthy and they also prefer turbinado. To substitute turbinado, I would use light brown sugar because it has a similar texture. Thank you for asking and I hope you try and if you do substitute, let me know how the scones turn out for you!
Coconut and cherry are two of my favorite ingredients. Love how you have made a good looking and delicious homemade granola with my favorite ingredients 🙂
I am so glad you enjoy! Happy granola making
Ah, homemade granola is the best!! Great recipe!
I love the combination of ingredients! I have been making my own granola for sometime. It is so much healthier than a lot of store bought brands!
Willow, you are so right! Homemade is so much better
I’m not a granola for breakfast person but I’d use it to bake something sweet 🙂 Looks yummy!
I started 2016 with granola too. Made it with goji berries. I agree with you that homemade granola is so much better!
Goji berries are on my fabulous list
I would never have guessed making your own granola would be so simple. I have all these ingredients already so I will definitely be giving this a try!
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Thank you so very much Rebecca! I had no idea, great news!
Love homemade granola and this one looks perfect. Healthy and yummy. 🙂
This looks so great! Happy New Year, I hope EEG results all ok. Kaz
Thank you so much Kaz!
granola is is one those perfect and awesome things in life. I like granola with chocolate especially
Always a keeper with chocolate
wow I am so looking forward to making this as I need a new snack since I have been eating clean for the past couple of months, this looks like it would be something in line with what I am eating.
This granola would be a perfect addition to your clean eating regime!
Here’s to better health for you and your family in 2016! I’m pretty much a granola addict. I love it all day long with yogurt and maple syrup! Your recipe sounds like a winner for sure!
Thank you so much!
I love making homemade snacks like this. Not only do you save money, but you get to make the flavor combinations that you really want to eat.
So very true!
Honestly I could live on granola. I would skip the coconut and add extra cherries. Is that ok? 🙂
ABsolutely, that is the beauty of granola – you can adjust anything to your liking!
I’ve been trying to add more granola to my diet. I’m pinning this for later!
That is great. Enjoy!
This would be perfect over some plain yogurt and some fresh fruits! Perfect for snacking too!
We are granola lovers in my home. I make this usually in the winter – but I have never tired with cherries before. My husband would love it
I have been wanting to try granola and this recipe looks awesome!
Thank you – hope you enjoy
Yummy, this looks so good.
That looks healthy and yummy. I can’t wait to try this.
I hope you enjoy!
This sounds so amazing! I have always wanted to make homemade granola and I love the way your sounds!
I hope you love it and let me know how it works for you
I have been looking for healthy snacks and this is perfect. Ive printes it out
Great Margaret, I hope you enjoy the snack!
I love homemade granola! Cherry Coconut sounds amazing!! And my family has all been sick too. I’m just now getting over it and haven’t even posted this year yet. Hopefully, I’ll get one up tomorrow! Hope you all feel better!
Jenn, I hope you and your family feel better soon. I feel the pain, it was a tough week. If not tomorrow, don’t worry, you have all year to give us wonderful posts!
This recipe looks so healthy and better than store bought! Can’t wait to try
I hope you enjoy!
Yumm! I love a good granola… and this one sounds like an amazing combo… cherry and coconut- could I add some chocolate too?? 😉
You most certainly can add chocolate. The beauty of this granola is that it is super healthy so a little chocolate is your moderation and you are allowed
I’ve never had homemade granola. This looks amazing and I bet it’s great added to yogurt as well.
absolutely great with yogurt
I love homemade granola, they are so healthy and you can customize it as per choice. This looks super delicious and I love that you added so many healthy seeds.
I love the contrast of the seeds
This is a perfect combination in granola. I like that you added a pinch of salt to it too.
Thank you Liz, I agree, Granola always needs a little salt!
I recently tried granola cereal and loved it. Me and my mom have been wanting to make granola from scratch. Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
I hope you and your Mom enjoy. This is a great recipe to start with making granola!
Yum! I love granola. Yours sure looks good too!
Thank you so much!
This looks like a delicious granola recipe. I will have to make some up and give it a try.
That sounds great, I hope you enjoy!
Added this recipe to my YumPrint cookbook. Can’t wait to try it out. Could you substitute cranberries for the cherries?
Blythe, absolutely, cranberries would be absolutely delicious!
This granola looks and sounds so tasty. I love cherry and coconut, so the combo sounds awesome.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
I really love granola. It is so healthy and delicious. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Let me know how it worked for you! Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Hope to try this one soon 🙂
I hope so, its a good one!
i’m not into granola but my dad loves anything cherry.
I hope your Dad enjoys!
I might just have to try this! 🙂
Great! I hope so!
I am always in awe of persons who can just get into the kitchen and create like that…looks good
Thank you so much for your kind words, Mardene!
This looks delicious! This would be a perfect after school snack 🙂
Absolutely, my kids eat this as if it were candy
My mom would love it, she always making this before and it’s so fantastic.
I hope your Mom enjoys this one s well
This sounds amazing I love granola for breakfast and snacks.
I love homemade granola! This sounds super tasty!
Thank you, I love this one too
Oh! This is really nice with greek yogurt or overnight oats! Definitely something I’ll do for my quick go-to snacks!
Yes, super yummy. I hope you enjoy
I’ve never tried it, looks so nice. I’m going to try this.
Great, any type of granola is always a good one, I love this one in particular!
My mom would surely love this recipe. I need to bookmark this and see it to her.
I hope your Mom enjoys the recipe!