Cinnamon Lover’s Granola – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

This delicious cinnamon granola is so easy to make at home! Made with oats, nuts, honey and, of course, cinnamon, it is a perfect breakfast or snack.

I love me some homemade granola, and this cinnamon granola does not disappoint!

Simple to make and super tasty, the cinnamon is definitely the star of the show – a great flavor to pair with the hearty ingredients in the granola!

Cinnamon Granola Ingredients

Making granola at home is so easy!

All of the dry ingredients go in a bowl. In this case, it’s:

• old-fashioned oats
• brown sugar
• ground flax (optional – see recipe notes for some good subs!)
• chopped nuts (I use pecans)
• cinnamon
• salt

Granola Syrup

Next comes the granola syrup! This is what helps everything stick together.

• neutral-flavored oil
• honey
• vanilla

Pour the syrup over the granola, and give everything a good toss until the ingredients are evenly coated.

An Unpopular Baking Opinion

I know most recipes for granola call for the granola to bake at a low temperature for a long period of time. But I prefer to bake my granola at a higher temperature for a short amount of time.

It has served me well for this favorite granola and this super popular granola, so I’m sticking with it.

Spread the granola evenly on baking sheets and bake at 325 degrees for 15-25 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!

The Key to Perfect Granola

For perfect homemade granola, don’t stir when the granola comes out of the oven!

Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, WITHOUT STIRRING.

Once it’s cooled, it’ll break into delightful small clusters as you scrape it off the pan.

I like granola with a more “piece-y” texture than granola with large, crunchy, rip-the-roof-of-your-mouth-open clusters. And this cinnamon granola has the perfect combination of crunch, clusters, and finer pieces.

Breakfast or Snack

We eat a lot of yogurt and granola around here. For quick breakfasts. After school snacks. And every opportunity in between.

With a high-protein yogurt, granola makes a deliciously healthy snack for my kids involved in busy athletics and after-school activities. Or as a late night grab because MY TEENAGE BOYS EAT NONSTOP. Literally, nonstop.

This cinnamon granola is a fabulous addition to the handful of granola recipes we already make and love. The cinnamon flavor is prominent without being overwhelming, and it’s tasty by the handful or on any flavor of yogurt!

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Cinnamon Lover’s Granola

Yield: 36 servings (about 9-10 cups granola)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Granola:

• 6 cups (600 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup (106 g) packed light or dark brown sugar (see note)
• 1 cup (120 g) finely chopped nuts (I use pecans)
• ¼ cup (33 g) ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if using table salt)

Syrup:

• ½ cup (98 g) neutral-flavored oil or melted coconut oil
• ½ cup (163 g) honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside. (See note below for baking both pans at once.)

• In a large bowl, combine all of the granola ingredients and toss or stir to evenly combine.

• In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla until well-combined.

• Pour the syrup over the granola ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

• Scrape half of the mixture onto each sheet pan. Spread into an even layer.

• Bake the granola for 15-25 minutes, stirring once or twice and rotating pans halfway through. Add additional time, if needed.

• Let the granola rest on the cookie sheet without stirring to cool completely. Once cooled, scrape off the pan into pieces and store in an airtight container. The granola will keep at room temperature, well-covered, for several weeks.

Flaxseed: you can leave this out and/or substitute with hemp hearts, peanut butter powder, or another 1/4 cup high fiber/high protein add-in.
Brown Sugar: if you want the granola a bit sweeter, increase the brown sugar by 1/4 cup or so.
Sheet Pan: If you are baking the granola on two sheet pans, either bake them in separate batches, or place oven racks six inches apart in the oven and bake the sheet pans at the same time, making sure to rotate the sheet pans each time you stir the granola to prevent the granola from cooking too fast. 

Serving: 1 serving (about 1/4 cup), Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 67mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g

Follow @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe a reader, Allison J., sent me – used this favorite honey almond granola as inspiration, too.