Honey sweetened almond granola is a delightful vegetarian breakfast that’s easy to make. Pure vanilla and almond extracts, plus ground cinnamon and cardamom, offer lots of flavor, while slivered almonds, oats, and wheat germ provide fiber and protein. Let it cool completely before breaking up into clusters to enjoy with milk, yogurt, or on its own.
Are you ready for your house to smell amazing? AND get a healthy breakfast out of it? Then make this homemade almond granola!
This simple recipe is perfectly crunchy, sweetened with honey, and free from all of that unnecessary extra stuff that’s typically found in store-bought granolas. What you see is what you get! Specifically, you’ll get old fashioned oats, slivered almonds, wheat germ, and lots of seasonings in every spoonful.
The other wonderful thing about my yummy granola is that it can be stored for a long while. Plus, it makes a lot of servings. So if you struggle with preparing healthy breakfasts to have on hand, this recipe is for you. Be sure to check out my Carrot Cake Granola while you’re here too!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Old fashioned oats: Also known as rolled oats. If you need this recipe to be strictly gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- Raw slivered almonds (NOT pre-roasted): These work best in homemade granola, since they are a good size and can soak up flavors well due to their skins being removed. You can, however, substitute regular raw almonds that you chop up instead.
- Toasted wheat germ: I happened to have leftover wheat germ on hand so I added it to the granola for some added nutrition! If you don’t have wheat germ, no problem. You can easily omit it. You’ll also need to omit this if you want it to be gluten-free.
- Cinnamon and cardamom: If you don’t have cardamom, just use more cinnamon or sub ground ginger.
- Kosher salt: You can substitute another coarse salt like sea salt. If you only have table salt or fine sea salt, increase the amount you use slightly.
- Honey: The perfect sweetener for granola! Make sure it’s runny enough to easily coat the other ingredients. If it has hardened, place the jar or bottle in a bowl with warm water to soften. You can substitute maple syrup if needed.
- Coconut oil: Oil is a necessary ingredient for homemade almond granola because it helps make it crispy. It also coats the other ingredients so that the spices stick to them. Melted coconut oil is my preferred oil to use. I use virgin (unrefined) coconut oil because I like the coconut taste. If you don’t want as strong of a coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil. You can substitute extra virgin olive oil, melted butter, or even avocado oil if needed.
- Vanilla and almond extract: If you don’t have almond extract, use all vanilla instead.
Variations
- Different nuts: Almonds are obviously a key ingredient in almond granola, but technically you can use other nuts such as pecans or walnuts too. Just make sure you use raw instead of roasted nuts. If you want to substitute seeds instead of nuts, such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, stir them in at the end instead of baking them with the oats and other ingredients. They can burn easily.
- Dried fruit: Dried cranberries, cherries, apricots, prunes, or raisins would be great additions. Freeze-dried strawberries or bananas would taste great too. Stir them in at the end after the granola has cooled.
- Coconut: You can add shredded coconut or coconut flakes at the end.
- Different herbs and spices: Try adding some rosemary or thyme for a little savory punch. You can also stir in lemon or orange zest or ground ginger or nutmeg.
Instructions
The full recipe card with ingredient quantities and instructions is at the bottom of the post. Here is a preview of steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen as you make honey almond granola!
Stir together the dry ingredients: oats, slivered almonds, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Whisk together the wet ingredients and pour over the dry ones. Stir well until everything is moistened.
Spread the granola out on a lined half sheet pan.
Bake at 300 degrees F until the almonds are golden brown. Keep an eye on the granola because it can burn easily. Let it cool completely before breaking into clusters and storing.
Storage
After cooling completely, transfer almond granola to an airtight container at room temperature. I like to keep it in glass jars. It will last for 2 to 4 weeks on the counter but may lost its crispiness over time. Some people prefer to store granola in the fridge, but I find that it gets less crispy faster if you do that.
You can also freeze granola. Store it in a freezer bag or container with as much air as possible removed. Try to use a bag that’s just big enough for the amount of granola you have, so that there is not too much extra room. I like Stasher bags. Keep in the freezer and use within 3 months. You can thaw it rather quickly on the counter.
Serving
Almond granola pairs very well with plain Greek yogurt. Add some fruit and an extra drizzle of honey if desired. You can also enjoy it with a milk of your choice, on a smoothie bowl, on cottage cheese, mixed into ice cream, or in a parfait. If you’re feeling adventurous, try it on top of roasted root vegetables or baked sweet potatoes. I would love it on top of my Basil Tahini Sweet Potatoes or Savory Roasted Root Vegetables.
FAQ
There are 3 factors you need to make crunchy granola: cooking it low and slow, adding enough oil, and completely cooling the cooked granola. Almond granola can burn at high temperatures, so it’s best to bake it at around 300 degrees F. You also need enough oil, but not too much, so about ¼ cup per 3 cups of rolled oats (in addition to ½ cup of liquid sweetener). Finally, letting the granola cool completely at room temperature will ensure that it gets crunchy.
Granola with almonds or other nuts is typically nutritious if you make it homemade. The oats provide a lot of dietary fiber, while the nuts provide protein, fat, and more fiber, making granola a filling food. When served with plain Greek yogurt or other protein-rich foods, granola can be a healthy addition to balanced meals. Scroll to the recipe card to see the nutrition facts for almond granola.
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📖 Recipe
Almond Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats - use certified gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup slivered almonds - raw (NOT pre-roasted)
- ½ cup toasted wheat germ - optional, leave out if you don't have or want gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom - can sub more cinnamon or ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup honey - can sub maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil - measured after you melt it
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract - sub more vanilla if you don't have
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, slivered almonds, wheat germ, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
- In a measuring cup or separate bowl, whisk together the honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla and almond extracts. Make sure the honey is runny enough to flow easily out of the jar. If it has hardened, place the jar or bottle in a bowl with warm water to make it runnier.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones. Mix very well until all of the oats are moistened.
- Spread the granola out on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The almonds should be golden brown but not burnt. Granola can burn easily once it browns, so be sure to keep an eye on it while it bakes in case you have to take it out of the oven sooner than 45 minutes.
- Let the granola cool completely. It will harden up a lot while it cools, so this is important. After it cools, break the granola into clusters. Transfer to an airtight container to store.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post).
Notes
- Keep granola in an airtight container or jar at room temperature for 2 to 4 weeks. It may lose some of its crispiness over time. You can also freeze it in a tightly sealed freezer bag or container with as much air taken out as possible. It will last 3 months in the freezer.
- Serve with yogurt, milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, smoothie bowls, or on top of roasted root vegetables.
Nutrition
Enjoy your healthy breakfast! – Lizzie
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