Snickerdoodle Homemade Granola Recipe

Move over cookies! This Snickerdoodle Homemade Granola is perfectly sweet and full of warm cinnamon, making it a delightful addition to any breakfast or snack. It is perfectly crispy, toasty, and packed with snickerdoodle flavor. Loaded with healthy fats, and is vegan and gluten-free.

Breakfast is my favorite time of the day, and this homemade granola recipe is always a favorite. If you’re looking for more oatmeal recipes, don’t miss our Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal, and Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal.

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I’m not sure if “Snickerdoodle Cookies” and “healthy breakfast” belong in the same sentence. But that sounds great to me! That is just what we’ve done, combining the delightful taste of snickerdoodle cookies and homemade crunchy* granola!

Why You’ll Love Homemade Granola Snickerdoodle Recipe

• Homemade granola is super easy to make. Just 10 minutes hand-on time, two bowls, a baking sheet and a handful of basic pantry ingredients are all you need
• Perfectly crispy, toasty, and packed with snickerdoodle flavor.
• A healthier take on the traditional granola recipes and completely vegan with no alterations necessary.
• This homemade granola recipe is easily made gluten-free by simply using certified gluten-free oats. 
• Nutty, crunchy, perfectly sweet, and full of warm cinnamon, making snickerdoodle granola a delicious breakfast, topping, or a satisfying trail mix type snack! 
• Has healthy ingredients and heart-healthy fat. Bonus: unlimited variations based on your taste.

Ingredients For Homeade Snickerdoodle Granola

(full printable directions at the end of this post)

You will need a few basic kitchen tools to prepare this snickerdoodle homemade granola recipe: mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, parchment paper, medium size rimmed baking sheet and a cooling rack.

• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats – provides the best texture and crunch in homemade granola; steer away from instant or quick cooking oats. (See FAQs for more detail)
  • For gluten-free diets, use certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats for this homemade granola recipe.
• Slivered Raw Almonds – slivered or chopped nuts should be raw to avoid overcooking.
• Pecans – have a sweet and nutty flavor that pairs well with a snickerdoodle granola recipe. 
• Pure Maple Syrup – is not only vegan friendly, I like maple syrup in this recipe because it tastes so delicious with cinnamon.
• Coconut Oil – that is unrefined will have a mild coconut-y flavor (bonus for some palates) compared to refined coconut oil. The measure is for melted oil. 
• Almond Butter – adds richness to granola recipes with a complementing and relatively neutral flavor. Look for thick, creamy, unsweetened nut butter (not runny).  
• Ground Cinnamon – the warm woodsy aromatic spice that is the vibrant signature ingredient for snickerdoodle granola.
• Pure Vanilla Extract – is the soft, warm note of vanillin that impacts the aroma of baked goods as much as the inherent sweetness.
• Salt
• Chia Seeds – are a great way to add a little extra nutrient density to any homemade granola recipe. They can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.
• Topping For Snickerdoodle Granola:
  • White Granulated Sugar
  • Ground Cinnamon

How To Make Crunchy, Yummy, Snickerdoodle Granola

This snickerdoodle recipe is for fans of crispy, clumpy, extra-toasty granola. BUT! If you like your homemade granola chewier and less crisp, shorten the bake time by at least 5 minutes.

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

• Step 1: Whisk together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, then incorporate the salt and cinnamon.
• Step 2: Combine the oats, slivered almonds, chia seeds, and chopped pecans. 
• Step 3: Fold the maple/coconut mixture into the dry ingredients and stir the granola until everything is evenly coated.
• Step 4: Spread and press the homemade granola in an even tight layer onto a parchment** lined sheet pan all the way to the rim.
• Step 5: The granola goes into a preheated oven for 35 minutes.
• Step 6: Make the cinnamon sugar topping while the granola is baking, and sprinkle the topping on it when it comes out of the oven.
• Last & Most Important! Let that stuff cool off completely!* (I know it smells divine, but no sampling or you may burn your tongue). Break up the crunchy granola and store it in an airtight container or zipper-sealed bag

*Chef’s Note: Hot cinnamon granola will crisp when it cools down.  (Cool down/Crisp up!)  

**Parchment paper is a must because the maple syrup will cause the granola to stick to the baking sheet. (Even non-stick!)

Tips For Baking Homemade Snickerdoodle Granola

You won’t need a level or a ruler, but keep in mind how stuff like this cooks in your oven. Take your time and pack the edges of this yummy, healthy granola right up to the rim. Edges will brown more quickly if they are thin compared to the rest.

• The oats need to be packed tightly and evenly. Tightly so that they clump together and evenly so that they cook evenly. If you have areas where the granola is thinner it may burn while areas of thickly packed granola may not toast well enough. Aim for about ½-inch thick throughout the entire sheet of granola. 
• I use a rimmed sheet pan 13.5 inches x 15.5 inches. If you use a larger pan size (like a half sheet pan) and pack your granola all the way to the rim, you may need to shorten the baking time since the granola will be slightly thinner and won’t take as long to cook.
• Parchment paper is important because the maple syrup will cook and stick to even a non-stick sheet pan.
• This granola recipe is for fans of crispy, clumpy, extra-toasty granola. For people who like fewer clumps, you can flip the granola after 20 minutes of baking. Just make sure to press the granola down with a spatula as evenly as possible to prevent uneven baking for the remainder of the cook time. If you like your granola chewier and less crispy, shorten the cook time by at least 5 minutes.
• Allowing the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet is really important. This helps it form those perfect clumps and crunchy bites and helps it dry out entirely before storage which can extend shelf life.

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How To Store Homemade Cinnamon Granola

Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature. Preferably in a darker pantry or cupboard for up to 1 week.

Variations On Healthy Homemade Granola

For people who like fewer clumps, you can flip the granola after 20 minutes of baking. Be sure to press the granola back down with a spatula to prevent uneven baking and put it back in the oven.

• Agave and honey are both appropriate substitutes for maple syrup. Make sure you use a liquid sweetener because it helps the oats clump together.
• Slivered almonds can be replaced with chopped almonds, but thinner additions like sliced almonds tend to overcook.  
• If you have an allergy to almonds, you can substitute a different type of nut like cashews, a mix of large seeds like pepitas and hulled sunflower seeds, or even raw coconut chips.
• Seeds make great additions: hemp, flax, sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds, especially with nut allergies.
• You can substitute a preferred, neutrally flavored fat for coconut oil. Butter will give this homemade granola recipe a taste more like snickerdoodle cookies than other fats.
• Peanut butter is a favored option if you don’t have almond butter on hand. Peanut allergy? Homemade granola options for nut butter using cookie butter or granola butter (yep, there’s granola butter).
• Feeling fall festive? Use homemade pumpkin pie spice mix instead of cinnamon alone.
• White sugar can be replaced by your favorite sweetener: cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, organic golden sugar, or others.

Healthy Homemade Granola FAQs

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I’m so excited to hear what you think of my Homemade Granola Snickerdoodle Recipe!
Don’t let the long recipe scare you, it just includes many of the notes made in the blog post. You just mix, bake and cool. Only 10 minutes hands on time to make Snickerdoodle Homemade Granola for your family!