Sweet & crunchy vanilla almond granola is easy to make and tastes about a thousand times better than store-bought. Wholesome oats and almonds cluster together with the sweet flavors of maple syrup and vanilla, without the long list of unrecognizable ingredients. Sprinkle it over yogurt for breakfast or enjoy it on its own as a snack you can take on the go—this delicious homemade granola is a reader favorite for a reason!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos.
I have several recipes for homemade granola on my site, like pumpkin spice granola and chocolate peanut butter granola, but this vanilla almond granola is the gold standard. My flagship granola, if you will. Aromatic vanilla, pure maple, almond, and cinnamon mingle together in perfect harmony, bite after crunchy bite. This stuff is seriously the best.
Since I first published this recipe many years ago, I still make it regularly. Sprinkled on yogurt or oatmeal, served in a bowl with milk, used as a garnish on maple vanilla baked pears or a bowl of fresh berries, or simply enjoyed with a spoon, my vanilla almond granola is a staple in many other kitchens, too:
One reader, Sheila, commented: “This granola is delicious and so easy to make. My husband, who never met a granola he liked, puts this on his oatmeal every morning and on his yogurt as well. I will never buy granola again. I added some pepitas before cooking and cranberries afterward... ★★★★★”
One reader, Christina, commented: “I have made this granola so many times that I’ve lost count. My friends and family all love ‘my’ (i.e., Sally’s!) granola and I get so many requests to make it! It’s great to have on hand for a quick breakfast for the kids but it’s rare that it lasts more than a day in our house! ★★★★★”
And one reader, Brittany, commented: “I made this twice just this week! My whole family absolutely loves it! So glad for a healthier and tastier option to store-bought and it’s so quick and easy to make. Can’t go wrong with this recipe! ★★★★★”
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Granola
- 8 simple, recognizable ingredients
- Crunchy, nutty, a little salty, a little sweet
- Sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup—no refined sugars
- As delicious as a snack on its own as it is over yogurt for breakfast
- Unlike store-bought granola, you have control over the ingredients
- Easy to make—only 3 steps! Wonderful recipe for beginner bakers
- And homemade granola makes a great gift!
- Vegan, egg free, and gluten free (if using certified-GF oats)
See all vegan recipes, all egg-free recipes, and all gluten free recipes.
8 Simple, Recognizable Ingredients
- Oats: Old-fashioned whole rolled oats are key in this recipe, making up the bulk of the dry ingredients. I don’t recommend quick or instant oats here.
- Sliced Almonds: Almonds add crunch, texture, and flavor. I usually use sliced, but you can use slivered or roughly chopped almonds instead. Raw or roasted—the choice is yours!
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon lends its warmth to the flavor of this granola.
- Salt: Just a pinch, to enhance all the flavors.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup adds flavor and sweetness, and you’ll appreciate that the sugar in this recipe is natural and unrefined. It also helps bind the ingredients together.
- Coconut Oil: Do not leave this out! Coconut oil is the key to the CRUNCH in every cluster, just like when we make granola clusters. You can use vegetable oil or melted butter instead if needed.
- Almond Extract: A touch of almond extract adds the BEST flavor to this granola. The smell brings to mind sugar cookies and birthday cake pancakes!
- Vanilla Extract: We’re using a whole Tablespoon, for maximum vanilla flavor.
How to Make Vanilla Almond Granola in 3 Steps
This recipe only has 3 steps. That’s it! Honestly, it’s starting to sound like going to the store to buy granola is way more work.
- Mix together dry ingredients.
- Mix together wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet + dry, spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. This is where a lot of the crispy-crunchiness happens.
Once you’ve tried these naturally sweetened, nutty clusters, I’m confident you won’t want to go back to the pricey store-bought stuff.
More Homemade Favorites
- Healthy Bran Muffins
- Chocolate Crunch Granola
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Pumpkin Spice Granola
- Homemade Fig Bars
Vanilla Almond Granola
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 2.5-3 cups
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sweet, sticky, and crunchy granola exploding with vanilla and almond flavors. Ditch store-bought, because healthy homemade granola is easy! This recipe is vegan, egg free, and gluten free (if using certified GF oats).
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (213g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (100g) slivered or sliced almonds*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (56g) coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Toss the oats, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup and melted coconut oil together until combined. Whisk in the almond and vanilla extracts. Pour over the oats and toss to coat. Make sure all of the oats are moistened.
- Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow granola to cool completely—as the granola cools, it becomes crunchy.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Granola is the perfect recipe to make ahead because it stays fresh for so long. Store this in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
- Almonds: Sometimes I use honey roasted slivered almonds from Trader Joe’s—they’re delicious! If you use honey roasted almonds, the granola will no longer be vegan.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This granola is delicious and so easy to make. My husband, who never met a granola he liked, puts this on his oatmeal every morning and on his yogurt as well. I will never buy granola again. I added some pepitas before cooking and cranberries afterward. I’ll be trying other seeds and raisins as well.
The last time I bought coconut oil, it was Refined Coconut Oil didn’t realize there were two types). It had no coconut flavor, which we both love in the granola. Back to the unrefined oil for us.
I just want to leave a review now that I’m about to make this for the second or third year in a row. Thank you so much for sharing such a delicious and easy recipe so that I can have delicious crunchies.
This is the best Granola EVER! Do you also have a recipe for granola muffins?
Hi Margaret, we’re so glad you love this! You might enjoy our Morning Glory Muffins.
If adding dried fruit would you add before /after bqking
Hi Sazz, You can add dried fruit after the granola bakes. Enjoy!
This is our favourite granola recipe. We absolutely love it. I just add more cinnamon and almonds.
Can I make this recipe without nuts? Should I add more oats? I like to put on top of my oatmeal for a bit of crunch, so I don’t need/want the extra calories from the nuts.
Hi Kate, you can simply omit the nuts without any other changes. Or, you can swap them with pepita seeds, dried cranberries, or another add-in if desired.
Hello! I wanted to know if I can substitute the coconut oil for olive oil or some kind of vegetable oil. Coconut oil isn’t exactly common where I live, and it’s kinda expensive. Also, if I want to add about 1/2 a cup of halved salted peanuts, should I make any changes to the recipe?
Hi Johana, yes, you can use vegetable oil or olive oil — taste will be slightly different. You can add peanuts with no other changes. Enjoy!
I love this granola, been making it forever. I usually double it, lessen the amount of almonds and add pepitas. Sometimes I use honey or a simple syrup to replace the maple syrup. The only issue I’ve come against is that 300* is much too hot, it burns the granola within 30 min (in my oven anyway). I lower to 200* and it takes much longer.
Thanks for publishing some of my fav recipes!
I’ve made this several times and it’s delicious, but, like most granola recipes, it still has a lot of sugar from the maple syrup. To make it a little healthier, yesterday I made the recipe as written … except I used 6 cups of oats! All the other quantities were the same. The trade off is that the result is not clumpy like some people like … but, honestly, don’t we like it clumpy so we can eat it by the handful?! It’s obviously not as sweet this way, too, but it still has plenty of flavor. Just a good way to cut some calories and still have a great morning cereal when you’re watching your calories!
I’ve made this like 10 times already. I mix up different nuts and I always make a double batch because I love how it tastes on my yogurt. Thank you so much.
I had a question do you know how many calories this granola had?
Also I did this today and it’s so good I use agave syrup a little bit less then it is in recipe cause I use more coconut oil
Hi Cornelia, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Do you know the serving size and calorie amount?
Thanks!
Hi Brenda, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Can this be made into bars? If so, what, if any, would you make? Thanks
Hi Terya, for a granola bar form, we’d recommend our Vanilla Almond Snack Bars instead — let us know if you give them a try!
Hands down mine and my family’s new favorite granola recipe!!!
Thank you!
This the best! Our family loves it. I substitute half honey with the maple syrup.
Could you sub canola oil or a vegetable oil for the coconut oil? I don’t have any coconut oil on hand.
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? If I can….how much honey would I use.
Hi Sue, absolutely. Same amount!
This is sooooooooooo good! Me and my mom and dad love this recipe and it is super simple to make! I eat a big bowl every morning and in 3 days its gone! I definitely recommend this to others to try!
-Kaitlyn age 11
Love it! I didn’t have almonds, cinnamon or almond extract, so I substituted with 1/4 brown sugar, 2 tbls of honey and chopped walnuts, excellent! I’m glad I doubled the recipe also because I ended up eating a big bowl of this as soon as it cooled. I can tell my family is going to love it! Thank you for this recipe.
This has become my go to granola recipe and I make it almost weekly. Delicious and easy.
OMG–soooo good! I’ve made a lot of granola before, but this is the best. Thank you so much for the sharing the recipe!
The best granola EVER! I double the batch every time I make it. The use of the Trader Joe’s sliced honey roasted almonds is brilliant. A definite favorite in my house.
I made this twice just this week! My whole family absolutely loves it! So glad for a healthier and tastier option to store bought and it’s so quick and easy to make. Can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Hi!
I just made this last night and it’s so good! Thank you so much for the recipe. I do have a question. My granola didn’t clump together that much. I stirred every 15 minutes. Maybe I didn’t let it cool enough? I let it cook about 20 mins. It didn’t feel warm when I bagged it up.
I have made this granola so many times that I’ve lost count. My friends and family all love “my” (i.e., Sally’s!) granola and I get so many requests to make it! It’s great to have on hand for a quick breakfast for the kids but it’s rare that it lasts more than a day in our house! Thanks, Sally!
Best granola ever! I love almond extract, so an almond-y granola was perfect. The consistency is delightfully crunchy. I used about 11g of pecans because I ran out of almonds, but it didn’t detract from the almond amazing-ness. I kind of hope my family doesn’t like it so I won’t have to share! Kidding, sort of.
I looooove this recipe!!! I double batch as well. I’m just wondering is there a trick to get nice big clusters? I find mine is pretty loose and doesn’t make the bigger chunks that I like in granola. Thanks!!
Mix with two egg whites before spreading in the sheet pan! Works perfectly! You need a protein binder.
Add an egg white. Also, instead of stirring the granola as it bakes, halfway through the baking time turn it over. It’s easier than it sounds, particularly if you’ve lined the baking sheet with parchment paper. I would also add a quarter cup of dark brown sugar. After baking, cool for several hours. You will end up with something that looks like a giant granola bar. Break it up into whatever size pieces that you want.
I have been to the store twice, and got Quick 1-minute oats both times, by mistake! Would these work as well?
You can use the quick oats, but the granola won’t have as much texture.
This is my go-to granola recipe! I do leave out the almonds and add some more oats because my kids aren’t a fan of nuts. Beautiful results every time, so easy and quick!
This looks delicious! Can I use olive oil?
Yes, that would be fine.
This recipe is so simple and soooo delicious! My kitchen smelled like I had oatmeal cookies baking. It’s going to be a perfect topping for my yogurt with fruit. One recipe filled my qt. Ball jar to the brim.
Hi there! This looks amazing and I’m wanting to add raisins to this, do you think should I alter bake time or any ingredients?
Hi Billie Jean! You can add raisins before or after baking. Raisins can burn, so you could even add them to the mixture halfway through bake time. No need to adjust the baking time or other ingredients.