Description
This Cinnamon Apple Granola is an easy and quick breakfast with simple pantry ingredients and the best cozy apple cinnamon flavor. It is healthy enough for meal prep and special enough for brunch or a holiday breakfast bar. Use it for yogurt bowls and snack ideas and party parfait cups. Each batch bakes into crisp oat clusters with chewy apple bits and warm spice so the jar disappears fast during busy mornings.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup Dried apple pieces
- 3/4 cup Chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 1/3 cup Melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine sea salt
Instructions
- The oats and dried apple pieces and pecans and pumpkin seeds meet in the bowl and the colors look rustic and uneven. The pale oats sit around the edges while the apple pieces and nuts scatter through the center and the mixture begins to look like a real granola base.
- The maple syrup and coconut oil and brown sugar and cinnamon slide over the oats and make the dry mix look glossy and darker. Some oat flakes clump together while a few apple pieces stay visible on top and the whole mixture changes from loose and dry to sticky and coated.
- The sticky oat mixture moves from the bowl to the sheet pan and spreads into a thin rough layer. Clusters sit thicker in some spots and thinner near the edges so the granola can brown with natural uneven texture.
- The granola turns golden brown and the edges darken more than the center while the apple pieces look chewy and slightly wrinkled. The layer breaks into rough clusters with toasted pecans and visible cinnamon speckles and the texture changes from sticky to crisp.
- A single serving of yogurt gets topped with crisp Cinnamon Apple Granola and the clusters fall unevenly over the creamy surface. Some apple pieces sit on top while smaller oats slide toward the side and the finished bowl looks homemade and ready for brunch.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use old fashioned oats rather than quick oats because the larger flakes bake into better crisp clusters.
- Cool the granola fully before storing because trapped steam can soften the crunchy oat clusters fast.
- Stir once during baking for even browning while leaving some areas pressed together for chunky pieces.
- Add chocolate chips only after cooling because warm granola will melt them and change the crisp texture.
Storage: Let the granola cool completely before storing because warmth can create steam inside the jar and soften the crisp clusters. Keep Cinnamon Apple Granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks and use a dry spoon every time. For longer storage freeze it in a sealed freezer bag and press out extra air before sealing so the oats keep their toasted flavor. If the granola softens after a few days spread it on a sheet pan and warm it briefly until the clusters feel crisp again.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American