If you know my mom, you probably read the title and thought that this recipe came from her (she is somewhat obsessed with cranberries and pecans). The original recipe did not call for cranberries or pecans and as I was stirring them in I thought, “I’m turning into my mother!”. I guess it was bound to happen eventually. =) I really love granola and since it’s often high in sugar and calories I only indulge occasionally. But when I saw a recipe for granola on pinterest (a very addicting website by the way), I immediately thought of the jar of fresh molasses sitting on my counter. For the molasses haters out there just substitute honey for the molasses…but really?? what’s not to love? If you’ve tried molasses before and didn’t like it, try it again. Look for molasses that are light in color. The lighter the color, the milder the flavor. This recipe makes a lot of granola so unless you have some big eaters at your house or plan on giving some away, you might want to consider halving the recipe. Or you could mix-up the add-ins–some with cranberries and pecans, others with coconut or chocolate chips or almonds or pumpkin seeds. You could also modify the cereal to oat ratio to your taste or even add some wheat germ. The possibilities are nearly endless! Enjoy!
Granola with Cranberries and Pecans
2 1/2 cups uncooked oats
2 1/2 cups fiber one original cereal
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup oil
1 cup molasses or honey (I used molasses but if you don’t like molasses use honey instead)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 c powdered milk
1/2 – 1 cup craisins
Mix the dry ingredients together and mix the wet ingredients together. Then mix them all together. Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350 until golden, stirring occasionally. The granola should still be moist with a slight crunch.
