This maple cinnamon walnut granola is spiked with the coziest fall flavors of maple and cinnamon! Enjoy for breakfast or an energy-boosting snack at school or work.
Making a big batch of homemade granola is one of our favorite ways to enjoy delicious weekday breakfasts and healthy snacks for work and back-to-school. And this maple cinnamon walnut granola, with the coziest fall flavors, will make your house smell like a cinnamon roll while it bakes (you're welcome).
It's delicious, simple, and we cannot get enough, especially atop our late summer healthy peach pie yogurt bowls and apple pie yogurt parfaits (apparently someone likes pie around here...). Let's make a batch!
Ingredients
- Whole rolled oats - Save your steel cut or quick cooking oats for another breakfast! Whole rolled oats work best here. Lately I've been obsessed with the kind from One Degree Organics because you can get a huge bag at Costco for a really affordable price!
- Chia seeds - For added texture and nutrition.
- White whole wheat flour - Or other other; just a little bit helps the granola form clusters.
- Cinnamon - The star of the show in this granola recipe!
- Salt - To balance sweetness and enhance flavors.
- Walnuts - Any nuts or seeds will work, but I love the way maple syrup and cinnamon almost candy the walnuts and gather in their ridges. Plus, walnuts have tons of health benefits! Read up on them here 🙂
- Golden raisins - Any raisins or dried fruit will work! Dried fruit adds a nice chewy, sweet aspect to this granola.
- Coconut oil - My favorite oil for baking granola.
- Maple syrup - The other star of the show in this granola, maple syrup provides the maple flavor and natural sweetness we're looking for.
- Vanilla extract - Adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
Substitutions & Variations
Below are some substitutions and variations to help you make this granola recipe work for you!
- Nuts - Use pecans or almonds instead of walnuts for delicious alternative, OR use pepitas to make this granola nut-free.
- Gluten free - Use gluten free flour instead of wheat-based flour, and make sure your oats are certified gluten free.
- Raisins - I love raisins or golden raisins in this recipe for some sweetness, but dried cranberries or chopped dates would also be sweet and delicious.
- White chocolate - For an added sweet treat, toss in some white chocolate chips after the granola cools completely. White chocolate goes especially well with the warmth of cinnamon and maple.
- More granola flavors - Try one of my other homemade granola recipes! All of them use very similar base ingredients, so all you'll need is the ingredients for flavor variations. We've got healthy pumpkin granola, simple coconut chia granola, and maple cranberry almond granola.
Instructions
First, preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, walnuts, and raisins into a large bowl.
...and don't forget the flour like I did 😉 Stir to combine everything together.
Melt the coconut oil and whisk together with the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Pour into the bowl of dry granola ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Spread granola mixture in an even layer into the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes, gently stirring once halfway through.
Finally, remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool completely before you stir! It'll seem very slightly soft at first, but it will crisp up as it cools. Not stirring it too soon is key for it to bind together as it cools, creating GIANT clusters that you can break apart into any size you want. Yum yum yum!
Hint: Since ovens vary, watch (or smell) closely during those last 5 minutes of baking to make sure nothing is burning.
Storage
After allowing it to cool completely, store your maple cinnamon walnut granola in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (such as a pantry or kitchen shelf). This granola is best when enjoyed within two months.
Top tip
For giant granola clusters, don't stir your granola too much while cooking, and let it cool completely before you stir or try to break it apart! This allows the ingredients to cool together in clusters that you can break down to the size you want.
Related Recipes
Did you make this maple cinnamon walnut granola recipe? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Maple Cinnamon Walnut Granola
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: ~6 cups
Description
This maple cinnamon walnut granola is the perfect cozy granola for fall! Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, keep this healthy homemade granola on hand for breakfast or energizing snacks.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole rolled oats
- ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup golden raisins (or regular)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large, bowl, combine oats, flour, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk together to combine.
- Combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Bake. Bake the granola at 300 degrees for 35 minutes, gently stirring once halfway through.
Notes
- Parchment paper. Parchment paper is optional but makes for the easiest clean-up ever! I love the unbleached kind pictured below in this recipe card.
- Oven times. Oven times vary, so make sure to keep an eye on the granola between the 30-35 minute mark. If your oven runs hot, you may need to take the granola out closer to the 30 minute mark. You'll know it's done when it's still slightly soft (but not too soft), fragrant, and not too overly browned on the edges. It will crisp up as you let it cool!
- Big clusters. I say this with all my granola recipes, but the secret to large clusters is not to stir too often! I like to stir once gently while baking, and then I let the granola cool completely before I break the large clusters into the size I want.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅓ cup
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 66.8 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.2 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
FAQ
Yes! This homemade granola contains energizing and nourishing foods that taste delicious. Without the use of refined sugar or starches, this granola is more nutrient-dense and less sugary than store bought versions.
Anytime you make homemade granola, but sure to check that the individual ingredients are certified gluten free (especially the oats). For this maple cinnamon walnut granola, just swap the white whole wheat flour out for your favorite gluten free flour. And then you're good to go!
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