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 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.
I originally published this recipe on my website back in 2014, and 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.
I made this over the weekend and followed the recipe exactly. All I can say is WOW! Super easy and delicious. This recipes is a keeper.
Super-great granola recipe – 3rd batch just came out of the oven and the whole house smells amazing!
A couple tweaks I made to ensure nice-sized clusters: 1) Added 1/4 white whole wheat flour and 2) baked as follows: 300 degrees for 15 minutes, then rotate pan without stirring, bake 15 minutes, remove pan from oven and gently flip granola in sections, disturbing it as little as possible, then bake the final 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it starting at the 10 minute mark to prevent over-browning.
Result is a perfect mix of clusters and crumbles, deliciously golden brown – just amazing over my homemade vanilla bean yogurt! Thanks for the wonderful recipe, Sally. 😀
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been making this for months now and regularly double the recipe with no problems. So tasty!
I tried making this for the first time but it burned. 🙁 I doubled the recipe, used two pans, and had to use honey and sugar because its all we had (I thought we had everything and then could’t go to the store). About 10 minutes in, I took the first pan out and it was “extra toasty/burned”. then I took the other one out at about 25 to 30 minutes and it was just right.
Did I do something wrong or is my oven just extra hot? Do you have any suggestions for the future?
Hi Elizabeth. Were both batches baked at 300? That’s a low temperature so I’m surprised the first batch burned and the 2nd did not. I would lower the oven temperature next time.
The only problem with this granola is that it disappeared too quickly at my house. Good thing its easy to make. Off preheating the oven now!
This is excellent granola. Thank you for the recipe.
this is a Great recipe! My family loves it!
I have been making this recipe for months now and love it. I use what ever nuts I have available and it turns out great every time. I added dried cranberries this last batch after it came out of the oven. Thanks so much for sharing.
This stuff is sooo good~! I have been making it a lot. Thank you for the recipe.
This is by far the BEST granola I have ever tasted! So easy to make and healthy. My kids take it in their lunches to eat with yogurt. 5 star recipe for sure!
I just made this today, added 3 Tablespoons of chia seeds, and it’s delicious! Thank you for a great recipe! I ate it over a smoothie bowl!
I made this today and it is so yummy! The smell as it’s baking is wonderful. The only thing I would change is baking time, at least on my oven. 45 minutes was too long and it started to smell slightly burnt. Just keep an eye on it. I did turn stir it ever 15 minutes. It’s so easy and yummy. Thank you!
Wonderful flavour. Perfect sweet and salty balance. I used combo almonds, walnuts and pecans and subed avacado oil. This will be a go-to recipe for sure.
Sally….I love…love…love…your granola recipes…Just tried this light refreshing one…Yummy…My favorite is the Cherry Nutella..
SMELLS AMAZING! Quick question, what’s the texture supposed to be like? Mine came out soft instea of crunchy. My husband says granola is supposed to be soft… But I always assume he’s wrong when It comes to the kitchen! What’s your take? 🙂 also, I substituted agave nectar for maple syrup! Could that have been the mistake?
Ha! The granola should be crunchy– and a little more time in the oven will help. The agave nectar wouldn’t make a difference.
Made this today exactly as called for and it is awesome. I need to make this for my daughter and her best friend to take back with them to college, they are going to go crazy over this. I have a feeling I will be making this a lot. Thanks for the great recipe!
I just took this out of the oven 10 minutes ago and I honestly cannot leave it alone! I will be surprised if there is any left to even cool down and put in a jar! Even before it went in the oven the bowl had been licked! Seriously, this is absolutely fantastic. The kitchen smells dreamy and this granola is truly wonderful. Thank you so much! I am going to have it with chopped dried cherries and dried pears and soya yogurt. Thanks! I am in love.
This is my GO-TO recipe for granola! We all love it! I even add 1/2-3/4 cup of coconut and 1/2 cup of Craisins. We usually like it with vanilla yogurt but you should try it with cottage cheese!
I just barely made this and am eating it now!! SOOO good! This is only the 2nd homemade granola recipe I’ve ever made, and it is definitely one to make again! I’m so excited to eat this in my vanilla greek yogurt tomorrow morning. I really love the addition of the almond extract, I can taste that faint hint in here and it’s yummy. And mine seemed to clump together pretty well, so that is a bonus! Thanks for a great recipe.
I was on the hunt for a great, healthy-ish granola recipes. Honestly, when I came across this I was pretty hesitant. It just didn’t sound all that exciting. But since I’ve LOVED every recipe from you (and that’s a lot) I gave it a shot. And I am so glad I did. I made a batch two days ago & I’m already making my second! Mahalo for the share!
I made this replacing half of the almond silvers with pistachio and using vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.. delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe Sally. 🙂
Oh, vanilla almond granola, how do I love thee?
I do not know how I have survived without this stuff. I have my tenth batch in the oven right now. It is soooo good. I add also about 3/4 cup of unsweetened coconut to the oat mixture, and today, after it has cooled, I will be adding dried cherries and pineapple. Even my brother likes it!
I just made this granola last night (actually it was my first time making homemade granola, period) and it turned out amazing! Followed the recipe exactly, except used canola oil in place of coconut oil as we were out. It is SO good…I will never buy store bought granola again! Thanks for the awesome recipe! Cheers 🙂
This stuff was amazing! As always, thank you for the fabulous recipe Sally!!
Just tried this and… EXCELLENT… I will be making granola every week from this day forth. Your recipes will be my inspiration. It’s not too sweet.
I don’t have maple syrup so I used honey and also I added half cup raw sunflower seeds and half cup whole flax seeds…more crunch and I’m addicted to flax seeds.
For Christmas, I gave away jars of this along with spice cake, banana bread, chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and Chex mix to all my coworkers. The granola was by far the most popular item. They loved the other items too; but, gave rave reviews for the granola and several have asked for the recipe. I love it too. I’m making more tonight and thought I would pop in and let you know there are even more people who loved it.
Oh my goodness, this is in my oven right now & my house smells like heaven!! I can’t wait to gobble it all up! It took less than 5 minutes to throw it all together, so this could prove to be a lethal combination for me… Super yummy & ridiculously easy??? Yeah, I’m in trouble.
Ok… I’ve made this stuff about 10 times now & I may seriously be addicted! I’ve made several substitutions (simply because I have been out of one thing or another & can’t wait to go to the store!) and it turns out beautiful every time. I am SOOO glad I stumbled upon this recipe!! Thanks for posting!!
made this yesterday! Absolutely love it! Thank youuuu:):)
Great recipe! I followed as is and it came out wonderfully.
Amazing! Made it as part of a breakfast basket for a gift. Great recipe!