Cinnamon Roll Granola
This Cinnamon Roll Granola is crunchy & sweet with cinnamon-spiced oats and a drizzle of white chocolate icing. The large granola clusters have a great crunchy texture on top of your morning yogurt, smoothie bowls, or simply by itself with some milk!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
This crunchy cinnamon roll granola has flavors of a cinnamon roll with the crunchy texture of your favorite granola. If you like that granola that has large chunks bursting with flavor in every crunchy bite, then you will love this!
I love to top this on some vanilla plant-based yogurt with some fresh fruit.
This cinnamon granola recipe was inspired by Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Roll Drizzled Granola!
If you love cinnamon roll flavors, you will also love my cinnamon overnight oats that are creamy and great for meal prep! Looking for more delicious granola recipes? Try these blueberry crisp granola bars!
Ingredients
- Old fashioned oats: These work best for granola for their chewy texture.
- Maple syrup: This is the main sweetener for this recipe.
- Brown sugar: Just a little bit of brown sugar adds a deeper caramel and molasses flavor to this granola.
- Coconut oil: I used unrefined coconut oil for this recipe (which has a subtle coconut flavor – this is not noticeable in this recipe). If you dislike any coconut flavor, use a refined coconut oil.
- Cinnamon: To add the cinnamon flavor in cinnamon roll granola of course!
- Vanilla Extract: Just a dash adds a lot more flavor to the granola.
- Sea salt: Helps balance the sweetness.
Optiontal icing:
- White chocolate chips: If you are vegan, use a dairy-free version like ones from Enjoy Life
- Coconut oil: A little bit of oil helps create a smooth chocolate that you can drizzle
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have coconut oil you can also use canola oil. I do not recommend olive oil because it has a very distinct flavor.
- You can also make granola with quick cooking oats instead of old fashioned oats, but they cook a lot faster so make sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn!
- Instead of brown sugar you can use coconut sugar.
Add other delicious ingredients:
- Nuts like pecans, walnuts, cashews and more
- Seeds like chia, flax, or hemp (don’t bake hemp seeds- they burn easily)
- Dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, blueberries and more
FYI: Some ingredients like nuts or dried fruit can burn easily so you may want to add them later in your baking process.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Baking sheet with parchment paper
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and oil is well incorporated.
Step 2: Add the oats and and stir well.
Step 3: Pour the oat mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out into an even layer. Firmly pack the oat mixture into the baking sheet with the back of a large wooden spoon.
Bake for ~30 minutes. Rotate the pan half way through cooking to allow it to evenly cook. Granola should be golden brown (if not adjust cooking time to slightly longer -it can vary based on the strength of your oven).
Step 4: Optional icing: Warm you white chocolate chips in a small bowl with a small bit of coconut oil. Microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add more coconut oil for thinner texture. Drizzle white chocolate over granola.
Let the granola cool at room temperature for one hour if you want large granola chunks.
Use a spoon or spatula to scoop up the granola off of the baking sheet (you can also use your hands to break into the large chunks).
Storage
Store cinnamon roll granola in an airtight container (I like to use clear mason jars) for up to 3 weeks.
To freeze cinnamon granola, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Make sure the container is freezer-safe to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to use the granola, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying. It can be stored for up to 3 months.
FAQ
You, can store it in the fridge but it is not necessary. Refrigeration can actually cause the granola to become slightly softer and lose some of its crunch. I recommend storing it at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
Yes! Try out apple spice cinnamon roll granola by adding in some dried apple pieces after it’s cooked. For pumpkin spice cinnamon roll granola add some pumpkin pie spice (which typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) and a little pumpkin puree.
You can substitute for quick oats but the texture is a little softer. Also these oats cook faster so make sure to monitor them closely.
Pro tips
- Allow the granola to cool for an hour before breaking it apart if you want large clusters. If you prefer smaller granola pieces, you can break it up after 15 minutes of resting.
- Customize this recipe! This recipe is nut-free, but you can easily add crushed pecans, walnuts, or almonds for more crunch. Keep in mind that some nuts, like almonds or pecans, can brown quickly, so it’s important to monitor the baking process to prevent them from burning. I recommend adding the nuts halfway through, which will require stirring your granola.
Cinnamon Roll Granola
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Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
Optional Icing
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips dairy-free if vegan
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and oil is well incorporated.1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tbsp packed brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- Add the oats and and stir well.2 cups old fashioned oats
- Pour the oat mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out into an even layer with no gaps between the oats. Firmly pack the oat mixture into the baking sheet with the back of a large wooden spoon. (FYI the granola will only take up about half of a 18” x 26” baking sheet).
- Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan half way through cooking to allow it to evenly cook.
- Let the granola cool at room temperature for one hour.Optional icing: Warm you white chocolate chips in a small bowl with a small bit of coconut oil. Microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add more coconut oil if needed for thinner consistency. Drizzle white chocolate over granola. Let the white chocolate harden before breaking up granola.1/3 cup white chocolate chips, 1 tsp coconut oil
- Use a small spoon to scoop up the granola off of the baking sheet (you can also use your hands to break into the large chunks).
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or in a resealable bag. Enjoy!
Notes
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- Allow the granola to cool for an hour before breaking it apart if you want large clusters. If you prefer smaller granola pieces, you can break it up after 15 minutes of resting.
-
- Customize this recipe! This recipe is nut-free, but you can easily add crushed pecans, walnuts, or almonds for more crunch. Keep in mind that some nuts, like almonds or pecans, can brown quickly, so it’s important to monitor the baking process to prevent them from burning. I recommend adding the nuts halfway through, which will require stirring your granola.
Wow! This granola was so delicious. Followed along with your recipe and it came out great. Can’t wait to make this again for my family around the holidays. Thanks for this article!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks Suzanne! Hope you enjoy it!