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Toasted Maple Cinnamon Granola

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Homemade granola is so much cheaper than store bought and tastier too! Besides it is so easy and customizable. This version is our absolute favorite!

small bowl filled with yogurt, pieces of fresh peach and granola.

This is the best homemade granola recipe out there.  I am just sure of it!  It is crunchy, sweet and flavorful just like you would want it to be. 

Plus it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to put together.  There is some oven time, but almost no work!

It taste of maple syrup, cinnamon and toasted oatmeal. So good! Throw in a handful of pecans if you’d like and you’ll really be in heaven!

Little Dude loves yogurt.  He loves smoothies, cups of yogurt and especially fruit and yogurt parfaits.

He thinks it is fun to dump some granola on top and crunch on the little bits of sweet goodness.  But granola can be expensive, and who knows what they put in it?

sheet pan of clumps of maple cinnamon granola fresh from the oven.

So I never keep it on hand.  I do always have oatmeal though.  

I also always have some form of sugar and oil.  So, I am always just a bit of time and hardly any effort away from granola.  

There are many variations you can make, but this is our favorite so far!

Little Dude has a new found affinity for cereal, and will eat it in a bowl with milk sometimes.  He also likes to eat it dry with his hands.

But really, he enjoys it most on his yogurt.  Throw in some strawberries or a banana and he is set!

In the picture above, we layered apple pie filling, vanilla yogurt and granola for my sister’s bridal shower brunch.  YUM!!

large jar of granola tipped over and spilling out.

Update:  This granola is MiMi’s new favorite!  She stumbled back on it recently, more than a year after I posted it and decided to give it a try.

Now she is hooked.  She loves that it stays crunchy in spite of our humidity!  What are your favorite granola add-ins?

jars filled with apple pie filling, vanilla yogurt and topped with granola.

Oatmeal is one of our favorite ingredients.  We are always putting it in muffins, pancakes and we have quite the collection of baked oatmeal recipes you need to check out.

If you like your oatmeal warm, maybe you’d like apple pie steel cut oatmeal. Or if you want an excuse to have chocolate for breakfast, brownie baked oatmeal is a great option. What are your favorite oatmeal recipes?

How to make sure your granola is crunchy:

Finishing the granola in the oven is the part where it gets its crunch.  Make sure to bake it low and slow so that the sugars don’t burn before it gets good and crispy.

Stirring the granola half way through makes sure it heats evenly and that there is good air flow to all of the pieces.  Don’t skip that step.

Make sure your granola is completely cooled before you put it in an airtight container.  If it is still warm, the steam will cause the granola to loose its crunch.

bowl of yogurt with maple cinnamon granola and peaches on top

Keep it out of the humidity as much as you can.  Store it in an airtight container and try to keep as much moisture out as you can.

Stored correctly, this granola will be good for several weeks at room temperature.  However we tend to go through it quicker than that.

Because it is so easy to make, it’s good to make it in small batches and make it more frequently.  That way you don’t have to worry about it losing its quality over time.

two bowls of yogurt with peach pieces and fresh granola.

Ideas for mix-ins you could add to this recipe:

Dried fruits such as raisins, craisins, banana chips, dried cherries and more! (Mix these in after the granola is baked and cooled)

Nuts are a great add in too, chopped pecans, slivered almonds, even pepitas or sunflower seeds would be great. (You can add these in when you add the oatmeal and bake them right in!) 

Add some shredded coconut if you’d like. (I would stir this in half way through the baking process)

If you want a vanilla twist, add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to the liquid mixture before you toss in the oatmeal.

Did you know you can make granola in the slow cooker? Try making slow cooker maple cinnamon granola for another way to get this tasty flavor combo.

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

small bowl filled with yogurt, pieces of fresh peach and granola.

Maple Cinnamon Granola

Carlee
Homemade granola is so much cheaper than store bought and tastier too! Besides it is so easy and customizable. This version is our absolute favorite!
5 from 15 ratings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 171 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups oats
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Optional: pecans or almonds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes. They should start to emit a toasty aroma and take on a little color. (You can skip this step, but it adds a little extra depth of flavor to your granola.)
    2 cups oats
  • Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil and stir in the sugar, syrup, cinnamon and salt.
    ¼ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt, Optional: pecans or almonds
  • Once the oats are toasted, remove from oven and turn the oven down to 250°F.
  • Stir oats into syrup mixture and spread over the baking sheet again.
  • Bake for one hour, stirring half way through.
  • Remove from oven and spread over wax paper to cool. Break into bite sized pieces and store in an air tight container until ready to use!

Notes

If you don’t have brown sugar, granulated works as well. 

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 36mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12g
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Recipe Rating




Jill Fisher

Thursday 16th of December 2021

Our favorite go-to granola recipes require "special expensive ingredients", so I thought I'd try this one because it only requires already staple ingredients in our house. I made it with butter and added 2 tbsp sesame seeds to a double batch. It came out very crunchy just like you said! My 10 year old girl, 7 year and 6 year old boys absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing all these yummy recipes!

Carlee

Thursday 16th of December 2021

I am so glad you all liked it! I love that it is made with stuff I normally have on hand too.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com

Sunday 2nd of December 2018

Carlee, now you've got me wishing I had a cute jar filled with granola right now! Of course, I'd cut the real maple syrup to 3 tablespoons and skip the sugar altogether, but other than that, Yum! And what a lovely gift item! #tipgarden

Carlee

Monday 10th of December 2018

That's one of the best parts about granola, it is so easy to tweak and customize!

Debbie

Tuesday 31st of January 2017

Hi Carlee, I'm going to have to come and stay with you. I can be food taster! I've never made granola before, I always thought it was fiddly to make, but your recipe is soooo simple!

xx

Carlee

Wednesday 1st of February 2017

It really is so simple. Definitely come for a visit and taste your heart out!

cburkholder

Tuesday 22nd of November 2016

I like checking out different granola recipes. Btw, I've made your pumpkin cinnamon roll twice now!

Carlee

Tuesday 22nd of November 2016

I was enjoying trying different ones for a while too, but now I am stuck on this one. I am sure I'll branch out one of these days. And thank you for letting me know!! I haven't made a pumpkin cinnamon roll in a while, and now I want one!!

Unknown

Friday 18th of November 2016

yummy!!

Carlee

Saturday 19th of November 2016

Thanks!