Learn the simple proportions to make homemade Apple Cinnamon Granola, or follow this easy guide to create your own favourite granola flavour combinations.
Apple Cinnamon Granola roasting in the oven will make your kitchen smell heavenly!
Everyone needs a repertoire of dishes they can make without a recipe, like salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, a green smoothie, a fruit crumble, a really good Caesar cocktail, and of course, a healthy batch of granola. And this Apple Cinnamon Granola is a great one to memorize!
One of the first things I learned to make without a recipe was granola. Once I learned the proportions, I could easily tailor it to my family's taste and use whatever nuts and dried fruits were in season.
In ten minutes from my pantry to my oven, I can have a big batch of this homemade apple cinnamon granola ready for breakfast, for making granola bars, or just for snacking.
It's one more step to take toward eating "clean" and avoiding packaged foods when I can. Oats are a wholesome grain, considered by some to be one of the healthiest grains on earth. Read about the 9 health benefits of eating oats and oatmeal.
Making this granola recipe always makes our home smell heavenly. Today, the aroma of toasted oats, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg wafting from the oven made me feel more accepting of the fall weather that has suddenly decided it's here to stay.
I'm anticipating all the harvest and holiday meals to come!
How to make granola: an easy guide
First, choose and chop your favourite nuts and seeds. Next, add old-fashioned rolled oats and spices, then stir it all together with some oil and sweetener. Toast it in the oven, cool, then add your choice of dried fruit. Pack into jars or airtight containers and you'll have breakfast ready for several meals!
The flavour combinations are only limited by your imagination, or what you have in your pantry.
Try this crunchy Cherry Vanilla Grain-Free Granola if you're looking for a granola recipe without oats. In the fall, you'll fall in love with this Maple Nut Pumpkin Spice Granola with Chia and Hemp! And who doesn't love gingerbread in the middle of winter? Try this Gingerbread Spiced Granola when it's chilly outside.
Serve your granola with milk or non-dairy milk or yogurt. Use it to make granola bars or topping for apple crisp. Or just eat a handful as a quick snack. Have it on the side with this fabulous Broiled Grapefruit with Maple Syrup!
4 tips for making homemade granola
- For 10 to 11 cups of nuts, seeds and grains, I only use ½ cup of oil and ½ cup of sweetener, like maple syrup or honey.
- Vary the proportion of nuts to oats if you like, or omit the oats entirely as in my Cherry Vanilla Grain-Free Granola or this Nutty Granola if you are following a grain-free diet.
- Make it gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats. Include other nutritious ingredients like coconut, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, or flax seeds.
- Make it your own! Develop your "signature granola" and have one more meal that you can make without a recipe!
Variations
Add one or more types of dried fruits:
- raisins
- prunes
- dates
- dried cranberries
- dried cherries
- coconut
- figs
- dried apricots
- dried apples
How to store granola
This granola will stay fresh for weeks in an air-tight container. You can also freeze granola! It only takes a few minutes to thaw. Freeze it in individual portions so you only thaw what you need.
Enjoy!
Apple Cinnamon Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2 cups pecans
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ - 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, use gluten-free, if necessary
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups chopped dried apples
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Heat oven to 250°F.
- Line 2 or 3 baking pans with parchment paper.
- Chop the nuts. A food processor will do this quickly.
- Put in a large bowl and stir in the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Melt the coconut oil and whisk it together with the maple syrup.
- Add to the oat-nut mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spread on parchment-paper lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and starting to crisp. The granola will become crisper as it cools.
- Once cool, stir in dried apples and cranberries. Store in air-tight containers.
Nutrition
Looking for more recipes using rolled oats? See 30 healthy oatmeal recipes.
Anne says
This granola looks awesome -totally makes me ready for fall! 😀
Flavour & Savour says
Me too, Anne! Lots to look forward to!