Description
This easy Cinnamon Apple Granola turns rolled oats and chopped apples into crisp golden clusters with warm spice and gentle sweetness. It is a quick and simple choice for healthy breakfast ideas and it may be the best homemade option for busy meal prep. Serve it with yogurt for brunch or pack it for a holiday potluck or party snack. Every batch keeps its rustic texture and cozy apple flavor while giving weeknight dinner menus a crunchy finish too.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped Raw pecans
- 1 cup chopped Unsweetened dried apple rings
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup Pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup Melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Rolled oats and chopped pecans are scattered into a mixing bowl and folded together until the pieces are loosely distributed. The pale oats now hold irregular pockets of tan pecans and the mixture changes from separate ingredients into one textured dry base.
- Maple syrup and melted coconut oil and vanilla are poured over the oat mixture with cinnamon and salt scattered across the surface. The dry oats become glossy and darker in patches as the coating is folded through and small sticky clumps begin to form.
- The coated oat mixture is transferred onto a sheet pan and pressed into a loose uneven layer with thicker clusters near the center and thinner edges. The structure changes from a piled mixture into a broad baking layer with natural ridges and scattered pecan pieces.
- The granola bakes until the edges deepen to golden brown and the center becomes dry and lightly toasted. The soft glossy coating turns crisp and matte while several clusters fuse together and the pecans darken unevenly.
- The hot granola cools until firm and then breaks into irregular clusters before the chopped dried apples are scattered and gently folded through. Chewy red and cream apple pieces now interrupt the golden mixture and the granola gains a varied color and texture.
- One serving is transferred to a white plate and arranged as a casual mound with visible clusters and chopped apple pieces and toasted pecans. The final portion shows crisp uneven textures and natural crumbs and non-uniform golden color that feels homemade rather than commercial.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Press several thick patches into the sheet pan so the granola forms rustic clusters instead of baking as loose crumbs.
- Let the baked granola cool completely before stirring because the maple coating becomes crisp as its temperature drops.
- Use unsweetened dried apples so the maple syrup controls the sweetness and the apple flavor remains clean and balanced.
- Store the granola only after it reaches room temperature because trapped warmth can create moisture and soften the clusters.
Storage: Let the granola cool completely before moving it into a storage container and any remaining warmth can create condensation and soften the crisp clusters. Keep the granola in an airtight glass jar or sealed food container at cool room temperature and it stays fresh for about two weeks when protected from moisture and direct heat. For longer storage place the cooled granola in a freezer safe bag and press out excess air before sealing and freeze it for up to two months and let portions return to room temperature before serving. Store yogurt and milk separately from the granola and add them only when serving so the oat clusters remain crunchy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 17g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg