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Cinnamon Raisin Granola

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Our homemade Cinnamon Raisin Granola recipe is made from simple, nourishing ingredients that taste AMAZING. You’ll get hearty oats, sweet raisins, and a kiss of warm cinnamon flavor in every bite!

a bowl of gluten-free cinnamon raisin granola with almond milk

We’re still on a bit of a granola kick at our house! Besides our classic Gluten-Free Granola and Cherry Almond Granola, this homemade Cinnamon Raisin Granola has been in regular rotation.

I get it! With the combination of cinnamon and sweet raisins, this easy breakfast channels classic oatmeal raisin cookie flavors, baked to crispy golden perfection! (Plus the smell of cinnamon raisin granola fills your whole house as the granola bakes!)

Homemade granola is so easy to make, and it strikes the perfect balance between nutrition and flavor. You can combine simple, nourishing ingredients and still come away with a delicious home-baked flavor that tastes like a hug. It totally outshines the store-bought granola I can find where I live!

Best of all, basically all the ingredients are pantry staples, so it’s easy to make a batch any time. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need…

ingredients for homemade cinnamon raisin granola

Simple Ingredients For Cinnamon Raisin Granola

  • Gluten-Free Rolled Oats. Rolled oats (sometimes labeled old-fashioned oats) work best for granola because of their size and thickness. Steel cut oats will NOT work, and quick oats won’t work as well as rolled oats.
  • Raw Sliced Almonds. Yes, please! Crunchy almonds and cherries are a match made in heaven.
  • Ground Flax Seeds. Besides adding healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, and fiber, ground flax seed ALSO helps hold the granola together without the need for egg whites. I prefer golden flax for its milder flavor and color.
  • Cinnamon. I love the warmth a bit of ground cinnamon adds to this granola.
  • Salt. This may seem like a bit of a surprise ingredient, but it makes a BIG impact on the flavor. Don’t worry, the granola won’t be salty!
  • Coconut Oil. Melted coconut oil helps the oats toast and helps hold the granola together. If you don’t tolerate coconut oil well, you can use a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil or light-tasting olive oil, though the flavor profile will be a little different.
  • Pure Maple Syrup. For sweetness. Agave or brown rice syrup is a good alternative if you need one!
  • Vanilla Extract. This adds a lovely layer of flavor, playing up the notes in the cinnamon and raisins.
  • Raisins. Lastly, you’ll need some sweet, chewy raisins. Any unsweetened variety of raisins will work.

Key Ingredient: Gluten-Free Oats

Oats themselves don’t contain gluten, but they are often farmed and processed in ways that cause cross-contamination. If you are gluten intolerant of have Celiac disease, you must ONLY use certified gluten-free oats. We like the oats from Trader Joe’s, Bob’s Red Mill, Thrive Market, and One Degree.

making homemade cinnamon raisin granola step by step
a jar of cinnamon raisin granola with big clusters

How To Make This Homemade Granola, Step By Step:

  1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almonds, ground flax, cinnamon and salt. (Do NOT add raisins yet!)
  3. Add Wet Ingredients. Pour coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla over the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine well until everything is evenly coated and blended.
  4. Pack Down On Baking Sheet. Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pack down tightly into an even layer with the back of a spatula. (You want the mixture as tightly packed as you can–this will make for bigger granola clusters later!)
  5. Bake Granola 40-45 minutes, but do NOT stir during the bake time. (Again, this helps with big clusters!)
  6. Cool Completely. When the granola is golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool COMPLETELY (about 1 hour) before touching it. Sprinkle with raisins, then break granola into clusters when it’s cool.
  7. Serve & Store. Enjoy granola right away with milk, yogurt, smoothies, or chia bowls, or store leftover granola in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)
pouring almond milk on a bowl of homemade cinnamon raisin granola

Serving Ideas

Granola is a real crowd pleaser, in part because there are so many great ways to enjoy it. Here are some of our favorites…

  • Try It As Cereal. For a classic breakfast option, pour some into a bowl and top with your favorite milk. (We’re almond milk fans!)
  • Sprinkle Over Yogurt. Try it on top of our Homemade Fruit On The Bottom Yogurt or sprinkle on top of a Protein Yogurt Bowl with some peanut butter or a drizzle of almond butter for a satisfying crunch. It’s a perfect breakfast! 
  • Layer In A Parfait. For a beautiful on-the-go breakfast, try it layered with yogurt and fruit for a delicious parfait!
  • Add Crunch To Chia Pudding. If yogurt’s not your thing, try it over our vanilla chia pudding or Blueberry Chia Pudding. You get the same creamy + crunchy combo!
  • Top Your Smoothie (or Smoothie Bowls!). We love this homemade cinnamon raisin granola with our PB&J Smoothie or our Chai Spiced Banana Smoothie. The flavors are delicious together!
  • Take It On The Go! This cinnamon granola makes a great snack! Pack it in bags and take it for a perfect snack on the go! It makes delicious trail mix, paired with some jerky or meat sticks for a little extra protein. 
a bowl of homemade cinnamon raisin granola with almond milk

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Granola

Add The Raisins At The End! Dried fruit like raisins can get hard and too chewy when it’s baked for a long time, so it’s best to add the raisins to granola AFTER it comes out of the oven.

Variations To Try:

The best part of making your own healthy homemade granola is that you can make it any way you like!

  • Make Nut-Free Granola! Either swap in unsweetened coconut flakes (not a nut!) and seeds (like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds) for the nuts, or omit them all together. (You can add more oats instead!)
  • Try Other Raisins! For more color or variety, try using a mix of regular raisins and golden raisins, or keep an eye out for an heirloom mix with several varieties together!
  • Try Other Nuts! While I love raisins and almonds together, you can also swap out the nuts to change things up. Try pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts for a delicious twist.
  • Add Chocolate! Try adding dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips to cooled granola for a chocolate raisin granola vibe.
  • Try Chai Spice. Swap out the cinnamon for our homemade chai spice blend. It’s delicious!

3 Tricks For Big Granola Clusters

I’ve always loved big, crunchy granola clusters, and if you’re like me, you might be wondering just how to make them yourself. I’ve got you covered:

  1. Pack It Down Before Baking. The tighter you can pack the granola before you bake it, the larger the clusters will be later!
  2. Do Not Disturb. The less you stir or disturb homemade granola, the bigger your clusters will be. Leave it alone as it bakes, and as it cools for best results.
  3. Use A Binder. What makes granola stick together to form clusters? A binder! Some recipes use an egg white to help create big clusters, but for a vegan version, I find that using ground flax or almond flour does the trick! (You’ll also get the healthy fats and fiber!)

⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment below when you make our Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Granola recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Print
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a bowl of gluten-free cinnamon raisin granola with almond milk

Cinnamon Raisin Granola (Gluten-Free!)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 cups granola 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

You’ll love the cozy flavor and satisfying crispy crunch of this delicious homemade granola recipe. It tastes like an oatmeal raisin cookie!


Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients:

  • 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats*
  • 2 cups sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup ground flax (I prefer golden flax)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almonds, ground flax, cinnamon and salt. (Do NOT add raisins yet!)
  3. Add Wet Ingredients. Pour coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla over the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine well until everything is evenly coated and blended.
  4. Pack Down On Baking Sheet. Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pack down tightly into an even layer with the back of a spatula. (You want the mixture as tightly packed as you can–this will make for bigger granola clusters later!)
  5. Bake Granola 40-45 minutes, but do NOT stir during the bake time. (Again, this helps with big clusters!)
  6. Cool Completely. When the granola is golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool COMPLETELY (about 1 hour) before touching it. Sprinkle with raisins, then break granola into clusters when it’s cool.
  7. Serve & Store. Enjoy granola right away with milk, yogurt, smoothies, or chia bowls, or store leftover granola in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks. (Or, freeze up to 2 months)

Notes

  • Oats. You MUST use certified gluten-free rolled oats for this recipe to be gluten-free. We don’t recommend steel-cut oats or quick oats for this recipe.
  • Oil. If you don’t tolerate/like/have coconut oil, you can use avocado oil or light-tasting olive oil, though the flavor profile will be a little different.
  • Flax. We only recommend ground flax seed for this recipe. Whole flax seeds are harder to digest and won’t bind the granola the same way. You can substitute almond flour or chia seeds instead, if needed.
  • Salt. If using fine table salt, start with HALF the amount.
  • Variations. Try using golden raisins, adding chocolate chunks or chocolate chips to cooled granola, or swap out the almonds for pecans!
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Originally shared February 2010. Fully updated with new photos, step-by-step instructions & video Feb 2024

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3 Comments

  1. Granola has quickly become one of my favorite things to make at home-it's a great breakfast when paired with vanilla yogurt and a dollop of honey!

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