This gloriously crunchy cinnamon raisin granola is loaded with flavor and has the most amazing clusters – great for snacking by the handful or serving atop yogurt, milk, smoothies, and more!
We’re ga ga for granola around here.
My 8 year old especially. She will sit down with a bowl of it and scarf it straight up like it’s popcorn.
For that reason I like to make my granolas refined sugar free, giving it a kiss of sweetness from pure maple syrup and a little honey, which makes the granola stick to itself in little sheets of crisp granola goodness.
This way I’m 100% okay with the chickpea running off with the bowl at snack-time.
Well, as long as she shares with me!
As a bonus, this cinnamon kissed granola insanely easy to make.
No need to shell out for expensive bagged granola at the grocery store — you can make a fresh batch at home with so little effort and it will make your house smell AMAZING while it’s cooking.
When it comes to mix-ins for your granola, there are so many tasty options!
I kept mine simple this time around, channeling the cinnamon almond raisin granola vibe from the granola I used to buy back in North Carolina. It’s a mix between that super tasty granola and raisin bran – which was my cereal of choice for at least a decade.
Yum!
Granola Mix-Ins and Extras
Feel free to load up your granola with whole or chopped nuts, and since they all taste great together you can even add combination of two or three different varieties to your granola.
Nuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Pistachio
- Macadamia
Another all-star granola mix-in is dried fruit. To keep the texture perfect and chewy I like to add dried fruit to my granola after it’s done cooking. Here are a few popular ones to mix into granola:
Dried Fruit
- Craisins
- Raisins
- Dried Apricot
- Dried Pineapple
- Dates
Assorted Extras
- shredded or flaked coconut
- chocolate chips
- cocoa powder
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds
- chia seeds
There are lots of other options too so feel free to experiment! The granola I often use as my base recipe is my Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe so feel free to work off of that and have fun with it!
Granola Serving Suggestions
- on top of yogurt with fresh fruit
- sprinkled on top of a smoothie or smoothie bowl
- with milk as a homemade cereal
- layered with fruit, jam, and yogurt in a parfait
- straight-up as a snack or trail-mix mix in
I’m so excited for you to try this crispy, cluster-y granola!
It’s already back on the menu for this week since the last batch was devoured way too fast.
Cinnamon Raisin Granola
Need a larger batch of granola? Feel free to double the recipe and use a larger sheet pan. As long as you can spread your granola in a thin layer on the pan, you’re good to go! You can even split it between two pans if needed.
Need a smaller batch? You can 100% halve the recipe if needed. This size batch is typically enough to last a few days for my family of 3.
To store, place granola in a large lidded mason jar or glass container with a lid. It should stay crispy for a week or two! Store at room temp on the counter or in the pantry.
For gluten-free granola simply check that your oats are gluten-free certified and you’re good to go!
Cinnamon Raisin Granola
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 TBSP melted coconut oil
- 2.5 TBSP honey
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1.5 cups sliced almonds (you could also do a mix of sliced + whole)
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup raisins plus any extra desired
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 300°F.
- Line an 11×17 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add your oats and sliced almonds and fold the mixture together.
- Use a silicone spatula to help pour the granola onto your parchment-paper lined baking pan. If you want large crispy chunks of granola (the best!) flatten the mixture into an even layer with your spatula, adding pressure so the granola is nice and compact.
- Bake on the center rack at 300°F for 20 minutes. When timer beeps, rotate the pan 180 degrees for even toasting and continue to bake an additional 10-15 minutes (I do 15 typically) or until golden and crispy. Ovens vary from home to home so just an eye on it and yank from the oven once it's your idea of crispy golden perfection.
- NOTE: I don't stir at the halfway mark so i can break it into chunky clusters when it cools off.
- Once you remove your granola from the oven, allow it to cool on the baking sheet until completely cooled. This will give it some time to get that signature crunch we all know and love! (It won’t crisp up fully until it cools)
- Once it's cooled and crispy – break into clusters and stir in your raisins.
- Granola will keep for up to two weeks in a lidded airtight container. Enjoy as a snack, in your favorite trail mix, with milk like a granola cereal, or on top of yogurt with fresh fruit and all your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
More Tasty Granola Recipes to Try
- Banana Bread Granola
- Maple Pecan Granola
- Coconut Ginger Granola
- Honey Almond Granola
- Peppermint Bark Granola
If you get a chance to try this cinnamon raisin granola recipe, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Thanks Shadi!
A perfect breakfast recipe for my kids. Healthy and tasty, they love it, thanks!
So glad y’all are loving the recipe. Thanks Natalie! xo