Almond Vanilla Granola with Real Vanilla Beans
Taking the heavenly flavor of vanilla to new heights, almond vanilla granola with real vanilla beans will make your breakfast shine! Great for snacks, too!
Am I obsessed with granola? Perhaps. Do you mind? If you’re a traditionalist, I have Pecan Almond Homemade Granola Recipe. If you’re a caffeine addict, there’s Almond Mocha Granola. Or try Apple Granola with Walnuts which tastes like apple crisp. Or maybe Chocolate Chip Granola with Strawberries. So good!
And now, almond vanilla granola. Because I’m also obsessed with vanilla beans. Exhibit A, B, C, D and E.
This granola is made with both vanilla beans and vanilla extract for lots of vanilla flavor. It’s a perfect way to start the day. Stir it into some Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for a filling, nutritious, and delicious breakfast.
But don’t stop there. I think granola is great over ice cream, too.
About Almond Vanilla Granola
Granola is easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. It’s just plain fresher! Plus you can customize it to exactly your own tastes. You’ll find that’s it’s much more economical to make your own, too.
What will you need? The main ingredient is rolled oats. Use the old-fashioned thicker cut oats. This is not the time for steel-cut oats, quick oats, or instant oatmeal. Add almonds, shredded coconut, ground flaxseed, and wheat germ. Don’t have one of these ingredients? No problem, you can add pretty much what you like as long as you end up with about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of dry ingredients.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Next, mix the oil and sugar, and heat gently in the microwave. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. It takes a little bit of mixing to get all the dry ingredients coated.
Spread the granola in a large rimmed baking pan (or two) and bake at low heat (300°F) until the granola is dry and toasted. Stir once or twice to make sure everything gets browned evenly. It smells so, so good while it’s baking!
Once cooled completely, store your granola in an airtight container. It will keep a few weeks. You can even freeze it if you want.
Make this granola your own:
- Instead of whole almonds, try sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, etc. Or make nut-free granola by adding an extra cup of oats in place of the nuts.
- Don’t have vanilla beans? Just omit the vanilla beans. You could add an extra teaspoon of vanilla if you want, or add a teaspoon of cinnamon.
- If you don’t like coconut, substitute an extra half cup of oats, or something else you love.
- After the granola has baked and cooled, add dried fruit, such as raisins, dates, cherries, cranberries, etc. Or add mini-chocolate chips!
Almond Vanilla Granola with Real Vanilla Beans
Taking the heavenly flavor of vanilla to new heights, almond vanilla granola with real vanilla beans will make your breakfast shine! Great for snacks, too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups thick cut rolled oats
- 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons wheat germ
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- the pulp of two vanilla beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment or Silpat.
- In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, coconut, salt, brown sugar, wheat germ and ground flaxseed.
- In separate small microwavable bowl, stir together canola oil and vanilla. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power. Add vanilla bean pulp and whisk with a fork to separate beans.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until everything is well coated.
- Spread granola in an even layer over the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and then bake for 15-20 minutes longer until golden brown.
- Let cool, stirring occasionally to break up chunks. When completely cool, store in airtight container.
Notes
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. Do NOT use quick oats, steel-cut oats, or instant oatmeal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
Husband’s take: He loves granola for breakfast. He mixes it with Rice Krispies. Yeah…I don’t get it either.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy!
26 Comments on “Almond Vanilla Granola with Real Vanilla Beans”
what an amazing combination!
Thank you!
Simple and delicious! I could have this every morning :)
“Spice it Up”
I keep saying I’m going to make my own granola but I haven’t done it yet. This photo is screaming to me! Looks great.
I keep saying that I’m going to start making my own granola. This sounds awesome!
I love how simple but beyond tasty this is! They sell almond vanilla granola in the store for an outrageous price and probably half the taste. So glad you shared this so I can make my own at home!
Let me know how you like it! :)
I’m obsessed with granola too! And vanilla beans! I love the two together :)
Awesome! Making another batch of granola is on my to do list for tomorrow so this is perfect timing!
This looks like it would taste great with some chocolate!
What wouldn’t? ;)
Loving this granola…fresh vanilla beans make such a difference.
YUm!!! This is my kind of granola!
Love this! I think I have everything but the almonds – I think I might make it with pecans later today. The kids would love it!
This granola looks wonderful! I love vanilla beans too! Oh, so heavenly!
I think vanilla beans are one of my favorite smells in the world. Can’t wait to try this!
This looks so simple and spectacular – I love adding granola to yogurt for a bit of crunch. And I also add it to banana bread :)
I just found a local source for vanilla beans so I am excited to try this recipe!
it’s ok to be obsessed with granola :) I’m obsessed too and I love the flavors in this..your hubs is so funny with his responses hahaha
This looks awesome and I love your husbands response! Chicken feed!! haha!!
Mmm, my favorite granola is a vanilla-flavored one–this looks delicious! Do you think I could up the extract a little if I don’t have any vanilla beans? (I know that’s the whole point of the recipe, but…yeah. Life.)
The amount of vanilla extract is already increased a little, but yeah…you could probably add more. But you should get vanilla beans. :) It’s a
differentbetter kind of vanilla bean flavor. Vanilla paste would be a better substitute, if you have that.Looks stellar! Love simple ingredients! Wish you lived closer to help me with my National Food Blogger and Baker bake sale in Canton, MI this weekend to raise money for Share Our Strength – No Kid Hungry campaign!
This is such a yummy breakfast idea! Yum!
OMG…. this looks TO DIE FOR!
So with you on the granola and vanilla bean love – why haven’t I thought of combining them before? I must whip up a batch this weekend!