Vanilla Granola – Sweet and crunchy almond vanilla granola that is so much better than anything from the store!
Granola is one of those things that once you make it at home, you won’t really go back to store bought. It is so easy to make at home, and you can add in all of your favorite things! Almonds, craisins, white chocolate chips…you name it!
Years ago there was a Vanilla Scented granola from the store that I loved. I was determined to make it healthier at home, and this is what I came up with. 6 years later it is still a favorite!
My favorite way to make this is with almonds, but just about any nut will work. Walnuts is another delicious option. The nice thing about homemade granola, is you can really customize it to whatever you like.
How to Make Vanilla Granola
- All of the dry ingredients get mix together and then spread out on a baking sheet. Here that is your oats, krispie cereal, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
- In a small saucepan you mix together the oil, sugar, and honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla at this point.
- Pour this mixture over the oats and mix until everything is coated.
- Put it in a low oven and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and then mix in the craisins. At this point you can add in other seeds that you want or let it cool for a little bit and mix in white chocolate chips.
Homemade Granola is great to have on hand for snacks or breakfasts. We love it over yogurt with fruit or you can enjoy it with milk like traditional cereal. Or when you are craving something crunchy or sweet, it makes a great thing to snack on.
Store granola in an air tight container and it is good in the pantry for a few weeks.
Can You Freeze Granola
Yes, you absolutely can! Just store in a freezer safe bag or air tight container and it will last for a few months in the freezer.
We like to give homemade granola as gifts in a cut jar with a ribbon at the holidays, so knowing it can freeze and last awhile is great!
So skip the store bought granola that is always over priced and has way more sugar and ingredients that you need. Homemade is super easy, and tastes so much better!
More Breakfast Recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- Strawberry Muffins
- Frozen Yogurt Cups
- Homemade Granola with Pumpkin Seeds
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
Vanilla Granola
Vanilla Granola - Sweet and crunchy almond vanilla granola that is so much better than anything from the store!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Old-Fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Rice Krispies
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, (or canola oil)
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line or spray a large baking sheet (with edges) with non stick spray.
- In a large bowl mix together the oats, Rice Krispies, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
- In a small sauce pan combine the honey and coconut oil. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour oil mixture over the oats. Mix until everything is well coated.
- Spread onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Granola should be a light golden brown color.
- Remove from the oven, and mix in the dried cranberries.
- Allow the granola to cool completely before removing from the pan. Store in an air-tight container.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
12 ServingsAmount Per Serving Calories 258Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 0mgSodium 112mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 4gSugar 17gProtein 5g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Kate says
Beautiful granola recipe, Erin. Sounds wonderful!
Cheers!
~Kate
Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray says
Yum, this recipe sounds great! I totally agree, walnuts sound like a great addition. And cranberries too? Mmm. 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Granola is one of my favorite things ever (I eat it almost daily for breakfast!). This version sounds incredible!
Cassie says
I’m still not a huge fan of yogurt but I love granola, especially homemade!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
Oh this looks awesome! I use yogurt in like everything.
Liz says
I love keeping a stash of granola in the freezer, too…and your vanilla granola make with coconut oil sounds exceptional!!! I have to have at least equal parts granola to yogurt 🙂
Suzanne says
Love granola and yogurt, great job on making your first batch of many more I’m sure!
Patty says
I really like homemade granola and layered over yogurt with fruit-that is a perfect breakfast any day of the week;-)
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
This sounds like some great granola! I’ll have to add this to my rotation! 🙂
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Yum! I love granola so much and vanilla is one of my FAVORITE flavors!!!
Pretend Chef says
Storebought does not compare to homemade. I think this would be perfect layered into a parfait with raspberries and bananas. Perfect breakfast for work mornings. Yummy!
Ramona says
I can be hot and cold when it comes to yogurt too. I actually like it best plain with Treacle syrup from Sri Lanka. I do need to give granola a try with it.. maybe I’ll have a new favorite because this looks great. 🙂
Laurie {Simply Scratch} says
I’m a granola-aholic and I especially love it when it’s mixed in with yogurt!
Lisa {AuthenticSuburbanGourmet} says
I love yogurt and granola! Still need to whip up a batch of my own and now I have a lovely recipe! Happy Weekend!!
Jenny says
I hardly ever eat granola, but whenever I do I love it! I’m thinking about making some of my own, I love your idea of making it vanilla flavoured. Yum!
Kate says
Love the granola idea! I eat it all day long to help gain my ideal pregnancy weight! I’m looking forward to trying the recipe
Nicole says
Oh my goodness, THANK YOU!!! I have been searching quite desperately for an amazing granola recipe. I’ve made a half dozen different ones that I’ve found, and all were either too sweet, not sweet enough, or just plain gross. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! A LOT of trial and error went into finding you, but my family and I are immensely grateful to you! This granola is soft, and amazing, and just perfectly delicious! I cannot thank you enough!!!
Beth says
This looks so delicious and perfect addition to my yogurt in the mornings! Can’t wait to make this!
Kimberly says
This sounds so delicious and I love the addition of the rice crispies for texture, great idea!
katerina @ diethood.com says
I LOVE granola!! I can’t wait to try this! Sounds absolutely delicious!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says
Such a fantastic granola recipe!! Perfect for breakfast!
Allyson Zea says
This is the perfect granola! I love using it on top of ice cream or eating it just as a snack.
Catalina says
This is the best healthy snack! So great to make granola at home!
Tara says
I love homemade granola and always try to have a fresh batch on hand. This recipe did not disappoint and had the perfect combination of flavors. I love to eat it over ice cream!