Crispy, crunchy, salty, sweet, and nutrient packed! Homemade vanilla almond granola is a delicious gluten-free treat. Perfect for sprinkling on yogurt, enjoying with almond milk or by the handful for snacking.
This post was first published in March 2021. It has been updated most recently as of May 2021 with new process shots and updated images.
If you regularly buy granola or cereal at the grocery store, try this easy vanilla almond granola! It’s delicious, simple to make, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry already. With just 9 ingredients needed!
Homemade gluten-free granola is so much tastier than the packaged stuff and much healthier for you. In this recipe I also add quinoa for added texture and a boost of healthy protein. It’s also egg and dairy free, and easily vegan.
I could seriously eat half a batch of this granola in one sitting. I like to make it on a Sunday so I have it for the week to sprinkle on Greek yogurt, eat like cereal with almond milk or just grab by the handful for snacking. It’s just SO GOOD.
You should definitely not skip adding the quinoa to this recipe. Not only is it super healthy, but it also gives the granola an extra crunchy texture and a delicious nutty flavor that plays so well with the honey, almond and vanilla.
Plus, no need to cook the quinoa first – you can just add the raw, uncooked quinoa right to the dry ingredients! Crispy crunchy, sweet, salty and nutrient-packed. How awesome is that?
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Ingredients
These are all ingredients that I keep stocked in my pantry. I order many of my staples from Thrive Market!
- Rolled Oats: it’s very important that you use old fashioned rolled oats and not quick-cooking or steel cut oats. My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats.
- Almonds: sliced almonds work best.
- Quinoa: this adds another layer of nutty flavor, more texture and a healthy boost of protein!
- Honey: you can use honey or maple syrup. I like the flavor of honey better. The syrupy goodness is what helps achieve that sticky sweet texture of homemade granola clusters.
- Brown Sugar: helps the granola caramelize and get super crunchy!
- Avocado or Coconut Oil: I prefer to use avocado oil for a more neutral flavor but coconut oil works too!
- Vanilla: use good, real vanilla. This recipe calls for a whole tablespoon! Vanilla bean paste is my favorite but a good vanilla extract works too.
- Cinnamon: this is optional, but I love a touch of cinnamon for more flavor and a bit of warmth.
- Sea Salt: the salty sweet combo is what makes this so irresistible!
Method
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and uncooked quinoa.
In a small bowl whisk together honey, oil, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine until all of the oat mixture is thoroughly coated.
Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.
Bake at 300°F for 30-35 minutes until golden. Stir it around once, halfway through cooking. Start checking at around 25 minutes, it should be light golden brown and smell nutty but not burnt.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it cool completely, undisturbed. It will be sticky while warm and crisp up as it cools.
Once cooled, break up into clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.
Substitutions
To make vegan granola, substitute an equal amount of maple syrup for the honey.
Coconut oil and avocado oil can be used interchangeably. Another light-tasting oil will probably work, but I haven’t tested this.
If you don’t have sliced almonds, slivered will work in a pinch.
For a bit more spice, try my pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon. The vanilla will be a little less noticeable but it’ll be delicious!
Use certified gluten-free rolled oats for a completely gluten-free granola.
Tips and Notes
The salt helps to balance the sweetness in the granola, making for a tasty salty-sweet bite. Perfect for breakfast!
Only stir the granola once during the cooking process. This will help it to form clusters and cook evenly.
Be sure to let it cool completely on the pan for it to crisp up after baking. It will be a bit sticky when first out of the oven, but crisps as it cools down.
Don’t omit the brown sugar, it’s part of what makes the granola crunchy! Just a couple tablespoons make all the difference.
More Great Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
Pumpkin Pie Granola
Sweet Potato Avocado Toast
Sweet Potato Oatmeal Pancakes
Vanilla Almond Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste yes, a whole tablespoon! or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and uncooked quinoa.
- In a small bowl whisk together honey, oil, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine until all of the oat mixture is thoroughly coated.
- Turn mixture out onto baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden. Stir it around once, halfway through cooking. Start checking at around 25 minutes, it should be light golden brown and smell nutty but not burnt.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and let it cool completely, undisturbed. It will be sticky while warm and crisp up as it cools.
- Once cooled, break up into clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.
Elizabeth
We are home for a snow day today so we decided to make this recipe. It’s divine! This is the best granola I’ve ever had. It’s perfectly sweet, salty, and has that amazing crunch. The only complaint is it was so good I had a second bowl and now I’m too full lol 😂 I will definitely make this again and share with my friends.
Immaculate Ruému
I never would have thought to add quinoa to granola. It really elevated the flavour and the added crunch was nice!
Tamara
This granola is so delicious! It is super simple to make, and it stores well. We eat it pretty much everyday, either as a snack, or added to our granola. Thanks for sharing
Jazz
This was perfect with Greek yogurt and blueberries. I’m adding it to my weekly meal rotation!
Kaluhi
Perfection!! I tried this with coconut oil and it turned out so great! I love how crunchy it was and the bold nutty flavor of it all!
Eric & Shanna Jones
So good! We’ve made this granola and have enjoyed it the last few days paired with Greek yogurt for breakfast. Those clusters are addictive! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Robin Sparks
I had never made granola before but this one is everything I would have dreamed of – vanilla, quinoa and gluten free too!
Marta
I double the recipe and for the last three days, my breakfast was vanilla almond granola and yogurt fruit parfaits. Amazing!
Chenée Lewis
I made this yesterdat to have for breakfast throughout the week, but I already finished most of it! It’s so good! And I love the boost of protein from the quinoa!
Lisa Voitsidis
Just took this out of the oven and it smells divine! Had a taste of the raw mixture before it was cooked and loved the addition of salt that offset the sweetness of the honey. I can barely wait for this to cool down!!