- Rolled Oats: A whole grain loaded with fiber and beta-glucan to help improve LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels.
- Chia Seeds: A plant-based source of omega-3s to keep our brain sharp and our hearts healthy.
- Maple Syrup: Makes it slightly sweet!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a vanilla flavor. You can’t go wrong with adding vanilla, especially in a vanilla almond granola recipe.
What To Serve it With
Granola by itself can be a great snack but sometimes it needs to be a bit more well rounded. Use this granola as a topping for vegan Greek style yogurt, smoothie bowls, or even on top of overnight oats.
Vanilla Almond Granola Variations
No Almond Butter? – Although this is an almond granola, you can use any type of nut or seed butter instead. You could even use my pistachio butter recipe if you had any leftovers!
No Maple Syrup? – add another sweetener like vegan honey or agave instead to sweeten it up a little bit. Omitting this completely will change the texture and it likely won’t cluster instead it will be a loose granola. To reduce the sugar the amount can be slightly reduced and you can instead sweeten or add flavor with cinnamon or dried fruit.
No Chia Seeds? – While chia seeds are my favorite in this recipe you could swap in flax or hemp seeds for a similar omega-3 benefit.
Granola can be a healthy snack and is quite easy to make at home. The best part is the smell while it’s cooking! I’m curious what do you think of the smell while cooking? Describe the smell of granola when it’s cooking in the oven in the comments below.
Almond Butter Clusters
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. While the oven is preheating mix the oats, maple syrup, vanilla, chia sees, and almond butter in a bowl until well combined.
- Spread the oat mixture into a thin layer on a lined or lightly sprayed 9×13 cookie sheet with edges and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the oat bars cool and once cool enough to touch break apart into clusters at whichever size you prefer.
