Homemade Honey Almond Granola
Easy homemade honey almond coconut oil granola. This tastes just like a Nature’s Valley granola bar. It’s perfect for topping on yogurt or with cereal. Did I mention it makes a great gift for friends and family?
Crunchy, oaty goodness.
Allow me to introduce to you my new morning obsession.
Homemade Honey Almond Granola.
It has totally been rocking my breakfast world. I cannot get enough of this coconut oil granola cereal. I’ve lost count of how many batches I’ve made. We’re eating them by the fistful as a delicious snack, adding it to the top of yogurt, using it as a crunchy topping for a smoothie bowl with fresh fruit, and even sprinkling it on vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for a little bit of crunch!
I mean, we’re talking crunchy oats, clover honey, roasted sliced almonds, speckles of vanilla beans, and I should add that you can basically customize this anyway you like to make it taste like your favorite store-bought granola!
My homemade granola recipe is my favorite way to start the morning! Not only is it made with non-gmo ingredients, you get to control exactly what kind of quality goes into your granola recipe.
And it doesn’t hurt that it has less than 10 ingredients and countless variations!
Ingredients for homemade granola recipe
- Old-fashioned Rolled Oats: I like to start this recipe with nutrient-rich rolled oats. Use whatever brand you typically prefer. Keep in mind, we’re not using quick cooking or steel cut oats for this recipe.
- Sliced Almonds: Make sure to use almonds that are just sliced and not previously roasted. Roasted, sliced almonds will burn, so best to stick with the unroasted variety!
- Brown Sugar: I like to use a bit of brown sugar in the recipe in addition to to the honey. Brown sugar contains molasses which gives the granola a wonderful flavor.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon gives the granola a wonderful smell when it’s baking in the oven and it tastes magical.
- Salt: Adds sodium and balances the sweetness in the granola recipe.
- Honey: See variations for other liquid sweetener substitutes.
- Coconut Oil: Melted coconut oil is my favorite oil for granola. It adds the best coconut flavor but it very subtle. Feel free to swap this with olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
- Vanilla Extract: typically I use 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, but recently I’ve swapped it for vanilla bean paste and I don’t think I’ll ever switch back. The speckles of bean paste and cinnamon add the most amazing taste.
- Almond Extract: I like to add just a splash to help boost the almond flavor. I’m not a fan of most almond extracts, so I specifically use and recommend this one.
Tips for success! Bought almond extract and looking for other ways to use it? Make my Homemade Zucchini Bread, Blueberry Muffins, Cut Out Sugar Cookies, and Warm Lemon Zucchini Muffins.
How to make honey almond granola
- Preheat the oven and prep. You want to start by preheating the oven while you combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Zap the liquid ingredients. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the honey and coconut oil together. The honey should be nice and loose and the coconut oil shouldn’t be solid. then stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and give it all a good stir.
- Off to the oven it goes! Spread the granola out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you’re making a double batch, you’ll want to use two baking sheets. Place the granola in the oven and let it bake for 15 minutes before giving it a flip with a spatula. Continue baking and flipping the granola every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes or until the nuts are golden.
- Let it cool off. Once the granola is done, allow it to cool to room temperature before popping it in an airtight container and storing it in the pantry at room temperature. The granola will last for 2 weeks, but may start to soften slightly after that (especially if it’s humid where you live!)
Variations for homemade honey almond granola recipe
When the granola is completely cooled, stir in one cup of dried blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries for a fun twist!
Stir is roasted nuts! Walnuts, pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, or even sunflower seeds are all great additions.
use maple syrup or even agave instead of honey.
Add toasted coconut flakes to the granola!
Add ¼ cup of omega-3-rich chia seeds to the oats before adding the honey mixture.
Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Honey Almond Granola
Easy homemade honey almond coconut oil granola. This tastes just like a Nature’s Valley granola bar. It’s perfect for topping on yogurt or with cereal. Did I mention it makes a great gift for friends and family?
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds (not roasted)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup honey (or agave)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300ºF.
- COMBINE: In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stir and set aside.
- ZAP: In a small microwave safe bowl, heat the honey and coconut oil together for 20-30 seconds. You want the honey to get nice and loose. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour over the oat mixture and mix until the oats are thoroughly coated.
- SPREAD: the mixture into an even layer on a baking sheet (see note). Bake the granola for 15 minutes, remove the granola from the oven and give it a stir.
- STIR: Return the granola to the oven and continue to bake and stir with a spatula until light golden brown in color. This will take between 5 to 15 minutes. I suggest checking every 5 minutes and flipping the granola for even browning.
- STORE: Let the granola cool completely before storing in an air tight container. The granola will be soft when it comes out of the oven but will harden as it cools. Store for 2 weeks in an airtight container (or longer if it's not humid where you live!)
Notes
- Use a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Do not use parchment paper as it will soak up all the oil.
- Feel free to add in any dried fruit. My suggestions would be toasted coconut flakes, dried banana chips, and papaya. Dried blueberries and strawberries would be great too! The possibilities are truly endless.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.
Replaced canned pumpkin for the honey (because I’m a pumpkin freak) and it still turned out amazing. This recipe is bullet proof – love it!
I have made this thrice already and it doesnt last more than 7 days at home, completely wiped out . I add anything I can find in my cupboard – orange peel, brown raisins, dried cranberries – I could have this any time of the day or night, its amazing ! Thank you for sharing this recipe Marzia !