Name: Pecan-Orange Granola with Dried Cranberries
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup maple syrup; 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest; 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar; 4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 2 cups (10 ounces) pecans , chopped; 2 cups dried cranberries

Why This Recipe Works

Store-bought granola suffers from many shortcomings. It’s often loose and gravelly and/or infuriatingly expensive. We wanted to make our own granola at home, with big, satisfying clusters and crisp texture. The secret was to firmly pack the granola mixture into a rimmed baking sheet before baking. Once it was baked, we had a granola “bark” that we could break into crunchy clumps of any size.

Before You Begin

Chopping the pecans by hand is the first choice for superior texture and crunch. (A food processor does a lousy job of chopping whole nuts evenly.) Use a single type of your favorite dried fruit or a combination. Do not use quick oats.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and pecans until thoroughly coated.

Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried cranberries. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)