Cinnamon granola with pecans adds a sweet crunchy texture on top of yogurt with fresh fruit as part of a balanced breakfast or healthy snack! This homemade cinnamon pecan granola is made with simple ingredients and has an addicting natural flavor that will beat any store-bought granola. I love having a small bowl of this granola as breakfast cereal, sprinkling on ice cream, or as a smoothie bowl topping!
The key to this homemade granola recipe and its irresistible flavor are using healthy ingredients: heart-healthy oats and high fiber cereal (thanks to their dietary fiber content), pure maple syrup, anti-inflammatory cinnamon and other spices, avocado oil, and pure vanilla extract. Cooking this crunchy granola on a low heat and letting it cool completely will result in the best texture!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more information.
Jump to:
Equipment
- Large bowl - a 3- or 5-quart bowl is perfect for creating the oat mixture
- Small bowl or liquid measuring cup - you want to combine the oil mixture of oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix separately before pouring over the oats
- Rubber spatula - a rubber spatula is ideal for mixing and spreading out the granola mixture onto the baking sheet with minimal sticking.
- Baking sheet - you want to spread the granola mixture in an even layer on a large baking sheet to allow to maximum crispiness!
- Parchment paper - parchment paper will prevent the granola from sticking to the sheet pan
Cinnamon Granola Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Old fashioned oats - these are a complex carbohydrate (LINK) and a good source of fiber. They are the bulk of this granola recipe! I recommend using old-fashioned or rolled oats as opposed to quick oats or steel cut as they may cook differently.
- Pecans - I love adding pecans to this easy granola recipe because they add a buttery, nutty flavor.
- High fiber cereal - cereals like All Bran or Grape Nuts are a great way to add not only texture and crunch, but nutrients like fiber and B vitamins!
- Unsweetened shredded coconut - coconut flakes go so well in granola and are a tasty addition if you like coconut! There isn't a strong coconut flavor to this maple pecan granola but you can omit this ingredient if you don't like coconut.
- Avocado oil - any neutral oil will work for this granola recipe (see Substitutions below!). Oil will help to bind the ingredients together as well as make the granola crispy.
- Spices - this granola is packed with warm spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
- Salt - just a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness!
How to Make Cinnamon Granola Clusters
1: Combine oats, high fiber cereal, and spices in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
2: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the avocado oil, real maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract. Stir until fully combined.
3: Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
4: Dump the granola mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer.
5: Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown on top.
*Let cool completely before breaking into pieces to allow those big clumps to form!
Variations & Substitutions
- You can add so many mix-ins to this granola recipe:
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Chocolate chips (I would toss these in after baking so they don't melt!)
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries, apricots, mango, apples, etc.!
- You can substitute melted coconut oil for avocado oil, but I'm not the biggest fan of coconut oil because of it's saturated fat content. Olive oil would be a better substitution!
Pro Tips
- Cooking this granola low and slow is key to the crunchy clumps that classic granola has! Don't turn the heat too high as the granola will burn and crumble.
- It's also very important to let it cool completely before breaking it apart. Otherwise, you'll have more crumbly granola with smaller pieces.
Recipe FAQ
Granola can be fairly high in calories and sugar, depending on what recipe you use or brand you buy. I recommend consuming granola in moderation for those reasons!
Since granola is primarily carbs and fat, I recommend pairing it with a high quality protein like Greek yogurt or milk!
You can use any nut or seed you like! Almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. You can even omit the nuts altogether.
This granola is crunchy! It has big chunks that are perfect for topping yogurt or a smoothie bowl, or having as a cereal with milk.
Other Recipes You May Like
Want more healthy recipes like this delivered straight to your inbox? Click here to join The Perfect Pear newsletter!
If you give this recipe a try, please rate and review it below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on Insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!
Cinnamon Granola with Pecans
Cinnamon granola with pecans adds a sweet crunchy texture on top of yogurt with fresh fruit in as part of a balanced breakfast or healthy snack! This homemade cinnamon pecan granola is made with simple ingredients and has an addicting natural flavor that will beat any store-bought granola.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 5.5 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 cups (346g) old fashioned or rolled oats
- 1 cup (140g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (140g) high fiber cereal like Grape Nuts or All Bran Buds
- ½ cup (39g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
- ½ cup (157g) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (109g) avocado oil, or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine oats, high fiber cereal, coconut, and spices in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the avocado oil, real maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the oat mixture is evenly coated.
- Dump the granola mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer.
- Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown on top.
- Let cool completely before breaking into pieces to allow those big clumps to form!
- Serve with Greek yogurt, on top of a smoothie bowl, in a bowl as breakfast cereal, or on its own!
Notes
- Store this cinnamon granola with pecans in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- You can add so many mix-ins to this granola recipe:
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Chocolate chips (I would toss these in after baking so they don't melt!)
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries, apricots, mango, apples, etc.!
- You can substitute melted coconut oil for avocado oil, but I'm not the biggest fan of coconut oil because of it's saturated fat content. Olive oil would be a better substitution!
- You can use honey instead of maple syrup.
- Cooking this granola low and slow is key to the crunchy clumps that classic granola has! It's also very important to let it cool completely before breaking it apart. Otherwise, you'll have more crumbly granola with smaller pieces.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 148
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 148
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 14
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Cinnamon granola recipe, how to make cinnamon granola clusters, cinnamon granola with honey, cinnamon granola bars
Leave a Reply