Honey Almond Granola
This honey almond granola recipe is made with simple ingredients, tastes WAY better than store-bought – and costs less too!
Ingredients
- 4 cups quick oats*
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1 ½ tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour** or rice starch (optional, but recommended)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil refined (unflavored)
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar (optional, but highly recommended***)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the quick oats, almonds, chia seeds, rice flour, and salt to a very large bowl and mix well.
- Add the coconut oil, honey, and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until all of the ingredients come together into a smooth consistency and the brown sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Pour the honey mixture on top of the oat mixture, and use a silicone spatula to fold it in until everything has been coated in the honey and oil mixture.
- Transfer the granola to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring the granola 2-3 times during cooking (but do not stir during the last 8 minutes of baking), or until the edges appear lightly toasted.
- Remove from the heat and do not stir. Allow to cool for about 1-2 hours before stirring. At first, the granola will appear “wet”, but as it cools, you will see that it dries out.
- After 1-2 hours, stir the granola to break up very large chunks (we like to leave some in for texture), then allow it to cool completely on the baking sheet (another hour or so).
- Once the granola is completely cooled to room temperature and no longer moist, transfer to a large glass jar or an airtight container. Leave the lid off for 30-60 minutes to allow any remaining warmth or moisture to escape.
- Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-3 weeks. If the granola feels moist or sticks together, your storage time will be limited, as it has not dried enough. Use it immediately, or store in the freezer until ready to use.
Notes
This was inspired by Nature’s Path Honey Almond Granola, which is our favorite store-bought granola. After MANY attempts, I feel confident that this is a really good dupe (we actually like it BETTER). Just be sure to follow the instructions closely and use all of the recommended ingredients.
*Type of oats: We have tested this recipe COUNTLESS times, and after getting less than stellar results from old-fashioned rolled oats, I decided to try quick oats, and it was SO much better. In side-by-side comparisons, testers preferred granola made with quick oats. We highly recommend you use quick oats (but not instant oats) in place of rolled oats in this recipe, although the recipe will yield good results with rolled oats too. If you only have rolled oats on hand, you can pulse them a few times in a blender or food processor to break them down into something that resembles "quick oats."
**Do I need to use Rice flour/rice starch? This helps A LOT with moisture absorption from the honey and is highly recommended, even though it’s an obscure ingredient for some households. That being said, you can make the recipe without it, but you’ll want to use it quickly to avoid spoilage due to high moisture.
***Honey only: I’ve tested this recipe with ONLY honey, and while it does work, it never reached the desired level of sweetness on its own. Increasing the volume of honey does not work due to moisture issues, but a perfectly good granola is made with just ½ cup of honey and no added brown sugar.
Coconut oil: In my many years of granola making, I have found that coconut oil tends to be the best choice. I recommend using refined coconut oil (the type that does not taste like coconut) for this recipe. If you do not have coconut oil, a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil will work in a pinch.
Storage: Transfer completely cooled (and dried) granola to an airtight container. Leave the lid off for 30-60 minutes, then secure the lid. Store at room temperature for 1-3 weeks. Discard the granola if there are any signs of spoilage, such as moisture, condensation, mold, off-smell (or taste), etc.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg