Almond Granola with Maple

A little sweet, a little salty, this homemade almond granola is simple to make and perfect for breakfast or an on-the-go snack. This is my twist on my favourite Purely Elizabeth granola, Maple Almond Butter.

This recipe was originally published on October 10, 2018 and reposted December 1, 2022 with process images, ingredient substitutions and an updated recipe.

I am not a breakfast person. Well, I love making breakfast- try my soft scrambled tofu - I just don't eat it. My morning ritual consists of making a jar of iced coffee as big as my head and carrying it around with me like a blankie for the next hour.

Recently however, granola is sneaking its way in to my mornings. It began on our trip to the States where I took to carrying a bag of Purely Elizabeth granola around and to be honest, I think I became a little hooked.

As soon as I arrived home I began playing with my own version of the company's nut butter granola and after several tries...bingo! A cheaper, simpler Purely Elizabeth granola nut butter recipe.

Why We Love This Almond Granola

There are so many reasons to love this almond granola.

• It's cheaper. Who doesn't love that? While the initial outlay for homemade granola can add up, you get way more bang for your buck over store-bought options. I did the math while whipping up my wonderfully chunky sesame granola. 
• It's based on a Purely Elizabeth granola recipe, so you know it's gonna be tasty
• It has less ingredients. With a lot less ingredients than the original store-bought version, this nut buttery granola is the perfect balance of sweet and salty without all the stuff.
• This granola can be made gluten-free
• It's the perfect portable snack and
• It's straight-up delicious.

Ingredients & Substitutions

To keep the cost of my homemade granola down, I have a tried and true base that, while still super tasty and full of good stuff, won't break the bank.

Almond butter. You can also use peanut butter or cashew butter, but I can't go past almond butter's caramely deliciousness. This is almond granola after all.

Rolled oats. Just regular old rolled oats. Nothing fancy to see here.

Buckwheat groats. Buckwheat is one of my favourite things to cook with - I even make a buckwheat risotto. Naturally gluten-free, buckwheat is a cheap wholefood (some call it a superfood) and adds awesome crunch and texture to our granola.

Sunflower seeds. Use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. If you don't have sunflower seeds, you can use pumpkin seeds.

Coconut flakes. I like the texture of coconut flakes but you could replace them with shredded coconut. Desiccated coconut is too fine, but in a pinch you could use it.

Maple syrup. Maple is my favourite sticky sweetener but you could use agave or brown rice syrup - they will be sweeter though add sugar a spoon at a time and taste.

Sunflower oil. I pretty much always use sunflower oil for everything but you can also use any neutral flavoured oil like vegetable or grapeseed oil. I've made this granola with melted coconut oil too.

Sometimes nuts, sometimes not. This is entirely up to you, your taste and your budget. I have included a cup of almonds in this recipe but you could swap it out for sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

How to Make Almond Granola at Home

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Making your own granola could not be easier.

Steps 1 & 2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 3. Whisk the almond butter, maple syrup and sunflower oil together in a bowl. If you are using coconut oil, whisk them in a saucepan over low heat until melted and well-combined.

Step 4. Stir the nut butter mixture into the dry ingredients and combine really well.

Steps 5 & 6. Spread the granola onto an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes at 170° C (340° F). Carefully remove the tray from the oven and gently stir the granola before popping it back in for another 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Note. When you remove the tray from the oven, the granola may not feel crunchy. Don't worry, it will crunch-up as it cools. No worries.

See? Easy-peasy.

Recipe FAQ's

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