Once you try this homemade crunchy cinnamon granola you'll never go back! Loaded with healthy nuts and seeds and flavored with caramel-like almond butter.
This healthy, homemade granola works on top of yogurt and bowls or as a snack in itself. Sweetened with a hint of maple syrup it's a vegan granola recipe you'll soon be whipping up regularly,
A delicious blend of maple cinnamon flavors that makes your house smell amazing.
There's a secret to whipping up this vegan granola recipe: when you cook it, make sure to press it down onto the pan so it holds together.
Trust me, this hack will make crunchy homemade granola as you've never tasted.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I adore having healthy, homemade snacks in the house. You're going to fall in love with this cinnamon granola because:
- dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan
- easy to make
- delicious on its own or as a topping
- it saves you money from buying an expensive store-bought brand
- there are less grains and more nuts than store-bought
Ingredients You Need
Skip the brown sugar and whip up this healthier homemade cinnamon granola to fuel your body!
Pumpkin seeds: grab completely raw (but shelled) pumpkin seeds and let them absorb the flavor!
Hemp hearts: a crazy dose of healthy fats in a tiny seed! We make homemade hemp milk because it's just so potent.
Regular oats: make sure to grab gluten-free oats as needed and know that quick oats should work in this recipe if you need to swap!
Large coconut chips: you want to make sure you use the large (unsweetened) chips and not shredded coconut. This is so that you get the crunch in the vegan granola!
Chopped almonds: we like to use raw almonds and not roasted or salted. Any nut should work though.
Cinnamon: the fresher your cinnamon the more flavor in the cinnamon granola!
Salt: don't skip the salt as it gives it an indulgent flavor.
Almond butter: make sure to use fresh almond butter so that it mixes well with everything, not the hard stuff at the bottom of an old jar.
Coconut oil: the unrefined, extra virgin will have the biggest band for your buck health-wise.
Maple syrup: for true maple cinnamon flavor make sure to use real maple syrup.
Vanilla extract: the more potent your vanilla the better the flavor.
How To Make The Cinnamon Granola Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour wet into dry and mix until everything is sticky.
- Press the granola onto a lined baking tray so it stays together.
- Bake for 12 minutes, stir the granola and repress it down.
- Bake another 10 minutes and remove from the oven to let cool on the pan for thirty minutes.
Step By Step Photos
Important Teaching Tips
Make sure to use shaved, unsweetened coconut. The thicker the better! I get mine from a local bulk barn.
When you put the cinnamon granola on the baking tray, press it down firmly so that it sticks together. This is what helps make it crunchy! The same applies for this chocolate protein granola.
Make sure to line the baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat, otherwise, the granola recipe is more prone to burn.
You want to use real maple syrup, dark if possible as you'll get much more caramel flavor.
Substitutions
Here's the thing about homemade vegan granola- you can sub almost anything! In fact, it really doesn't matter if you use almonds or walnuts. Nuts are interchangeable.
Likewise, if you don't have enough pumpkin seeds, use sunflower seeds! It's pretty easy to mix and match the ingredients.
However, for this homemade cinnamon granola, I would advise you to not omit the large toasted coconut flakes. It's these coconut flakes that make the healthy granola recipe extra crunchy.
I don't believe you can use avocado oil in place of coconut oil as the coconut oil helps the granola recipe harden once cooled.
How To Enjoy Vegan Granola
We use cinnamon granola recipe for just about everything! A few of our house favorites are:
- put on top of smoothie bowls
- mixed into yogurt parfaits
- eaten as a cereal for breakfast
- made into granola bars for on-the-go snacks
- eaten by the handful out of the fridge (totally me)
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Granola
There are two reasons why your granola isn't crunchy. The first is that it is cooked at too high of a temperature. Homemade granola works best when it's cooked low and slow. The second reason could be that there weren't enough liquid or "sticky" ingredients. These ingredients once cooked firm up once the homemade granola sits to cool.
Store your cinnamon granola in mason jars in the fridge so that it stays fresh. In the fridge, it should last up to three months.
More Healthy Granola Recipes
- High protein granola
- Apple pie granola
- Chocolate chip granola bars
- Nut-free granola
- Yogurt granola cups
More Healthy Snack Ideas You'll Love
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Chocolate chia protein balls
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Chocolate fudge protein balls
- High protein cookies
- Chocolate protein fluff
- Easy, no-bake vanilla protein bar
- High protein snack recipes
Crunchy Cinnamon Granola
Video
Equipment
- Large baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flakes large*
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbs hemp hearts
- ¾ cup oats regular, gluten-free
- ½ cup almonds chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ cup smooth almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil measured solid
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix. In a small pot combine the wet ingredients and heat on low (if you place the stove too hot the almond butter will burn). Whisk frequently until all wet ingredients are combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry and mix well until everything is coated and semi sticky. Line a pan with parchment paper and spread granola mixture evenly over the pan. Try to keep the granola together and not spread apart but keep the layer thin.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the over and stir placing the granola back into a single layer. Bake another 10-12 minutes keeping watch carefully in the last two minutes. You want the granola to be just starting to brown. Any longer and it will burn.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let sit on the counter for one hour. The granola will harden as it sits. After an hour, break granola apart as much as preferred and store in mason jars in the fridge.
Notes
- Make sure to use shaved, unsweetened coconut. The thicker the better! I get mine from a local bulk barn.
- When you put the granola on the baking tray, press it down firmly so that it sticks together. This is what helps make it crunchy!
- Make sure to line the baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat, otherwise, the granola is more prone to burn.
- Make sure to let the granola cool fully on the pan so that you get the best crunch!
- Grab all the ingredients from my Pantry Staples.
- The granola recipe makes 5 cups roughly. One serving is ½ a cup.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
www.fooddoz.com says
It is a nice recipe. Thanks.
Daniela says
This is absolutely something I can roll with! Yum looks delicious!
fitasamamabear says
Right?! Granola is always a win 😀
Myrthe De Brouwer says
Wauw, this looks delicious. I can't wait to try it myself. It looks so healthy, thank you for the recipes, very helpful 🙂
fitasamamabear says
I hope you enjoy it! I couldn't stop licking the spoon lol
Claire says
Definitely looks tasty and delicious!!! And it's homemade, so perfect! haha.
Melissa says
These look like such a good and healthy treat! Going to have to make some for my family.
fitasamamabear says
Let me know they like it when you do!
Jonnie says
This looks amazing!!
fitasamamabear says
Thank you! It's addictive lol
Christine says
I've never even thought about making my own granola. Thanks for the recipe. I'm so doing this.
fitasamamabear says
Enjoy it! It's sooo tasty 🙂
Kanani says
Are coconut flakes the same as shaved coconut? Asking for a friend.
fitasamamabear says
Hey Kanani! It depends where you're buying them (dumb I know). You don't want to use SHREDDED coconut but large flakes (ones that are about 1cm+ long) will work. You want them big and thick enough to add some crunch 🙂
Kimberly says
This looks so delicious and easy to make!
fitasamamabear says
It's definitely tasty... slightly addicting especially warm lol
Shannon Burlingame says
YUM!!! This looks so healthy and tasty! I am running low on granola so I'll have to try this out. 🙂
fitasamamabear says
It is tasty! Actually addictive - enjoy it!
Sophia says
Omg this looks so good. I love crunchy granola, I can just eat it dry straight from the bowl. xx
fitasamamabear says
I'm with you! I grab a handful everytime the fridge door opens lol
Armida Torres says
I never thought about making my own granola but this post has me rethinking that 🙂
fitasamamabear says
Mmmm making your own is so yummy! Be careful not to eat it all at once- then you have to make another batch lol
Viki says
You make it look so easy! I still prefer to buy them at the organic store and not create a mess at home^^
But I'll try when I get home in a few months - let's see how it goes!
fitasamamabear says
Granola is definitely easier for me now haha I think I just got mad at paying so much for it at the store when I had the ingredients. It took me a while to get it down though- I used to burn each batch or make it too dry.