Cranberry Orange Granola
Simple and healthy, maple-sweetened granola with orange zest and dried cranberries. This granola just happens to be gluten free and vegan, too!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I feel like I’ve been trudging through mud all week. That’s a phrase my mom uses fairly often when she’s having a hard time getting stuff done. For some reason, I’ve always imagined that the mud is actually chocolate pudding, which offers a more delicious visual.
So I’ve been trudging through chocolate pudding all week. Obstacles here, there, everywhere! I can’t tell you how many trips to the grocery store I’ve made over the past few days. You know how it goes. The first grocery store is out of Brussels sprouts, the second doesn’t carry spring roll wrappers and the third store’s freezer section doesn’t offer any frozen spinach. Then you finally get home and realize that you forgot to put Parmesan on the list. Good grief.
That’s not just me, right? I’ve decided that my version of paradise includes a grocery store that carries everything I need. No, I take that back—my version of paradise includes a self-stocking kitchen. Why doesn’t that exist yet? It’s 2015!
I found myself day-dreaming about self-stocking kitchens while this granola filled my house with the heavenly scent of fresh orange and warm maple syrup. I’ve been on a granola kick again and this kind is my new favorite. It’s extra clumpy and extra delicious.
I always strive to use only natural sweeteners in my baked goods, but this one required a minor adjustment. I know from past experience that rubbing zest into sugar brings out the flavor of the citrus tenfold, so I rubbed the zest into a couple of tablespoons of sugar. That did just the trick!
I’ve also learned how to make extra clumpy granola. The key is to crowd the granola a bit after you toss it halfway through cooking. Use a spatula to squish it down into a thick, even layer. Then let the granola cool completely before breaking it apart. This batch actually had all night to cool and harden before I took these photos.
This granola is an irresistible snack, of course. It’s also fantastic with plain or vanilla yogurt for breakfast. You could add some fresh fruit if you’d like—clementine segments would be quick and delicious, and you can never go wrong with slices of ripe banana!
Microplane zester
Measuring cups and spoons from Sur la Table
▸ For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my healthy kitchen!
Cranberry Orange Granola
Simple and healthy, maple-sweetened granola with orange zest and dried cranberries. This granola just happens to be gluten free and vegan, too! This recipe yields about six cups of granola.
Ingredients
- Zest of 1 large orange, preferably organic
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar of choice
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
- 1 ½ cups raw pecans (or other nuts or seeds*)
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it’s bright orange and fragrant. This step will ensure that your granola is infused with orange flavor.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, salt, cinnamon and orange sugar. Stir to combine. Pour in the coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix well.
- Pour the granola onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread the granola into an even layer. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes (if you used honey instead of maple syrup, check at 22 minutes), stirring halfway, until the granola is turning lightly golden in color. The granola will crisp up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool before stirring in the dried cranberries. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey almond granola.
*Nut and seed substitutions: If you are using large, whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.) follow instructions as directed. If you are using small nuts or seeds, like pepitas, or large coconut flakes, wait to stir them into the granola until you remove it from the oven halfway through cooking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Oh my goodness! This granola looks absolutely amazing, Kate. I love how you first rub the orange zest into the sugar, which releases all those wonderful flavors and aromas! Adding this to my must-make list.
Thank you, Sini! Hope you love it. Have a wonderful weekend!
Wow it’s like I sensed your post – this morning I was thinking, “I need to find a good granola recipe”…think I’ve found one! Looking forward to trying this!
Perfect! Hope this one does the trick!
It’s not you; Mercury is in retrograde! Definitely making this on Sunday for breakfasts next week.
You know, I’ve never believed in astrology, but I’m starting to think there’s something to this Mercury in retrograde business. Life’s been funny lately! Hope you love the granola.
I hear ya about the grocery stores. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have to go to 3 every week to find everything I need. Let me know when you find/invent the self-stocking kitchen so I can sign up! This granola looks delicious — especially as part of a cereal breakfast!
Fantastic granola – I love the combination of pecans, orange and cranberries. YUM.
Mary
this looks so good!
This granola sounds so good! Once I ate orange granola, but it was bought from a store and it was disgusting.. I may try to do my own with orange zest!
Uh oh, I bet they used artificial flavorings. This granola is the real deal!
I feel ya on the grocery store woes. It happens to me ALL THE TIME. Gah!
Oh well, it looks like this granola turned out to be delightful AND it’s almost Friday. :)
I’ve seriously been to the grocery store about ten times this week. No more!!!
Thanks Kate for this recipe. It sounds absolutely divine. I am always looking for fresh wholesome ideas and of course your recipes never disappoint. Breakfast is going to be awesome….love the thought of the orange flavour :-)
Thank you, Lynne. I hope it turns out marvelously for you!
You need one of those things from Star Trek, where you walk up to it, ask for something, and it appears! But then I guess there would be no need for cooking either…
I love the citrus in this granola, such a lovely flavour combo.
Haha, that would be magical! Thanks, Cara.
mmm, and how simple. i love orange/cran together.
I’ve been making my own granola for a while (the grocery store stuff is so expensive/sugary) and this creating clumps tip is positively going to change my life. Really the only thing I miss about store bought granola!
And the orange zest sugar!!! It really does bring out the essential oils like crazy. Although I tried to do it with coconut sugar once and it just turned into a paste!
Sounds and looks delicious! I haven’t granola in ages.
Well this certainly is one way to update breakfast – so yummy and the flavour combo is incredible!
Lauren x
Sounds sooooo good! Can’t wait to try this one.
You take the most beautiful pictures! Everything you make looks absolutely delicious. Food really is so beautiful!
Thank you, Stefanie! Food is beautiful, it makes my job easy! :)
I love the shots of the orange zest! So much color and texture! And of course, I’m imagining the smell of orange and maple syrup emanating from the kitchen right now…can’t wait to make this!
im on a granola train too right now, i made mine with honey, coconut and walnuts. I cant wait to try this esp with orange sugar.. i hope in 2016 we will have a self stocking kitchen, life will be complete after that…no?
I love granola too! And this recipe seems like the perfect pick-me-up that my breakfast has been begging for.
I love the visual of trudging through chocolate pudding rather than mud. I am definitely going to use that one next time I feel like I am lagging. Oh, and a self-stocking kitchen would be great :)
My sister-in-law made me some orange and cranberry granola for my birthday- it is SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe, I forgive you for the sugar :)
wow another great recipe. how do you come up with these great recipes? do you spend a lot of time mixing different flavors and seeing how they come out??
amazing…
Thanks, Jean! I get ideas from all over the place. I often reference a book called “The Flavor Bible,” which is basically a thesaurus of flavors that work well together.
I was thinking of making this tomorrow. Has anyone else had problems with using coconut sugar. I also have sucanet and was wondering how these sugars might effect the Orange infusion?
Hey Rigel, I think sucanat would work fine but someone mentioned that they tried rubbing zest into coconut sugar once and it liquified!
Yay, homemade granola! I love the idea of using the classic cranberry orange combination here.
YUM. This looks crazy good! I am pinning it.
And I totally feel you about multiple grocery store trips. I am headed out to make my 3rd trip this week. *Sigh*
Looks like a perfect breakfast!
I hate those kind of weeks!
I can not get over the zest in this granola…genius. And I am the same about natural sweeteners in granola but I love that sugar/zest tip, what a great recipe! I need to get back into making granola regularly again.
I have a feeling I’d absolute inhale this granola! And I know those kinds of weeks too well… that’s kind of the whole month of January, I think! ;)
Love the combo of orange and cranberries and colors are just so bright. How can you adapt this recipe to make granola bars? Thanks!
Hey Lilly! I have a granola bar recipe that you could easily adapt to taste like this one. Just add chopped, toasted pecans instead of almonds, cranberries instead of chocolate and mix in the orange zest sugar (as described in the granola recipe). https://sooka.info/2014/healthy-almond-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Wonderful granola. I left out the granulated sugar and only used 1/4 cup maple syrup and it is plenty sweet. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you, Lin!
I made this granola last night in between Superbowl-food-making so I’d have healthy breakfasts for the week..taking a break from my green smoothies and avocado toast. It is AMAZING..maybe the best granola I’ve ever had. The orange zest sugar thing takes it to the next level..thanks SO MUCH for the amazing recipe!
Hooray, thank you! I’m obsessed with this granola, too… it might be my life’s masterpiece! ;)
In the oven right now, used this recipe (orange zest sugar – new concept for me and it rocks!) and added some other goodies from my pantry (almonds, shredded coconut etc). Excited to hear some new recipes as you hang out in Austin, that city is on my list to see. (I’m a country girl so the must-see city list is short!)
Thanks, Merrilee! Hope your granola turns out fantastically!
did somebody say “chocolate pudding”? with chocolate on the mind, i imagined this as *chocolate orange* granola (the idea of which has consumed me). i’m picturing chunks of dark chocolate in place of cranberries. ahh. i like the sound of this technique of rubbing the zest into sugar — do you think coconut sugar might work, too?
I have a serious homemade granola addiction, and I think this one needs to be next on my list of recipes to try! The combination of the orange and cranberries with the maple syrup-sweetened granola sounds incredible!
Oh my goodness this granola looks so delicious and I will be making us a batch of it asap!!
Hi Kate! I made the granola and it turned out really well. It was a bit sweet for my taste, so next time I’ll use less sweetener, but the orange flavour was really good. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, thanks Robin!
Hey, Kate! I made it yesterday. Really easy and tasty. It’s now our favorite.The orange flavour is really special and unique. We only did some substitutions and it turned out great. We replaced the cranberries by raisins (because in Brazil cranberries are not so commom and really expensive, btw) and the coconut oil by sunflower seed oil ( Ithought maybe the olive oil wouldn’t taste nice). We also made a mix of nuts (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and brazil nut) instead of using only pecans. Thanks for the recipe! :)
Awesome! Your version sounds delicious. Thanks, Liv.
Mmmm! Made this and the orangey-citrus flavor is really nice, along with the dried cranberries. Super unique and yummy! (chowing down on it right now ;D)
Thanks, Ela! Glad you’re enjoying the granola.
This looks really yummy! I wanted to ask you a question. I’m thiking about starting my own food blog. I see on all food blogs around beautiful pictures of their recipes and procedures. Do you take the pictures yourself? If so, what camera do you use? This is one of my concerns of starting the new blog. I don’t know, if it will workout. I love to cook and bake, but I am not a professional chef. I have a lot to learn. I am scared that it will not be good enough. but I might just give it a try.
I’m sorry! I just read your bio. I got the answer.
So I actually made this granola Friday night because I wanted it first thing Saturday before hot yoga. I used half oats and puffed cereal, almonds, walnuts, honey and whatever else was a staple ingredients. The orange zest gives it a bright flavor. I let it set out overnight but was disappointed at how little of it stayed together in a bar/clump vs. breaking up. I don’t do dairy so I eat it by the spoon. I’d love to know how to get the granola to stick together more firmly.
Hi Laura, I’m sorry your granola didn’t stick together. I’m not sure if it had to do with your substitutions or the method. It is important to get the ratio right. Did you press down the granola with the back of a spoon/spatula after stirring it halfway through cooking?
I think I have made 100 (no exaggeration) batches of this since March or maybe more since we found this recipe. It has become quite an addiction in our family! I even have the recipe memorized since we always make a double batch. And with a family of granola eating 5…we can’t get enough. It is just simply the best granola I have ever had. Love your blog!
Thanks!
Wow, that’s a lot of granola! Thrilled to hear that you all enjoy my granola so much. Thank you for letting me know! :)
This granola is heaven <3
It tastes sooo so good by itself, I haven't even tried it with milk as cereal yet and I'm already in love. I love the flavour combination.
This is my new favourite thing
Yay! Thanks you, Isabella!
This was outstanding. My house smelled heavenly.my new favourite snack!
Yay, thanks Xena!
Just discovered this and made it, and wow! My morning breakfast was amazing. Shared it with everyone I know on Facebook. I used walnuts instead of pecans and cheated by adding 1 tsp orange extract to the maple syrup, as I didn’t have fresh oranges to zest. Still amazing!
Delighted to hear it! Thank you for sharing with your friends, Jennifer!
Best granola I’ve ever had. Really the perfect blend of flavors. The neighborhood kids come running when I make this! Thanks for the great recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks, Tess!
I just made this granola again last night as I am totally addicted!! I do have a question for you: if I wanted to turn this into granola bars, what modifications would I make to the recipe? congratulations on your upcoming cookbook! Yay!
So sorry for my delay! I’m happy to hear that you loved the granola and LOVE the idea of cranberry-orange granola bars. I would actually base the granola bars on this recipe, substituting toasted pecans for the almonds, adding orange zest and maybe using maple syrup instead of honey (up to you). Maybe I’ll make some cranberry-orange bars for the blog!
I saw this linked on the holiday list and I had to chime in. I make lots and lots of granola, often trying a new recipe every week. This was, by far, one of the BEST granola recipes I have ever made. It was not only delicious and pretty, but it inspired me to think outside of my usual (granola) box! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe.
Woohoooo! Thank you, Laura. :)
Saw this on the holiday list and absolutely had to make it. Just finished a bowlful with some coconut yoghurt while sitting in front of the fire and watching a Christmas film. Absolutely delicious, and can’t wait to have it again for breakfast with some orange segments. doubled the batch and stuck half in a Kilner jar that I’m going to give a friend for Christmas. I know she’ll love it just as much I do! I did add some orange juice from half of one of oranges, just to give it another kick along with the zest, and stirred in half a cup or so of cacao nibs before baking.
Thanks for another delicious recipe, Kate, and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. x
Thank you, Bethan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola. Happy holidays!
Total keeper recipe. Made it and added a squirt of orange juice. Replaced the white sugar with xylitol and it worked great for the zest. Used seeds instead of nuts (nut free school). Added a handful of dark chocolate chips and all of a sudden, my kids love granola. Thank you!
This granola is amazing. Thanks for your detailed instructions (like pressing down hard with the back of the spoon)–I think those make all the difference! I’ve never had granola turn out right before.
I used whole pecans and maple syrup. Only cooked for 24 minutes, stirred half way through, and some of it got burnt. I also made the mistake of putting the cranberries in with the granola to bake. What a disaster! Should have read the recipe closely.