Small Batch Apple Granola

Begin your morning with the wholesome goodness of homemade apple granola. Combining the natural sweetness of apples with hearty oats and a touch of spice, this granola recipe is not only simple to whip up but also serves as a delightful, nutritious option for your busy mornings or as a quick snack during the day.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Granola Recipe

• Portion Control: This small batch recipe prevents waste and ensures freshness in every bite.
• Flavorful: A balance of sweet and tart flavors from the fresh apple, sweeteners, and spices make this granola incredibly tasty.
• Versatile: This granola can be enjoyed on its own, with milk or yogurt, or as a topping on various dishes.

What Is Granola?

Granola is a classic breakfast food or snack commonly made with melted butter or oil, rolled oats, chopped nuts, a sweetener like maple syrup or honey, and sometimes fruit.

Fresh Apple Granola is a twist on traditional granola that includes chopped fresh apples as one of its core ingredients. The apple adds a delicious natural sweetness and moistness to the granola, complimenting the crunchiness of oats and nuts. With the comforting flavors of apple, cinnamon, and vanilla, it’s a perfect fall-inspired snack, breakfast, or topping.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

• Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats. If you’d like to make gluten-free granola, be sure to use gluten-free oats. I do not recommend using quick oats.
• Coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut.
• Nuts and seeds: I use chopped walnuts and chopped almonds. Feel free to switch up the nuts you use in your version. Consider using cashews, pecans, or pumpkin seeds.
• Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. If you don’t have brown sugar in your pantry, make your own with our easy brown sugar recipe.
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice: These warm flavors of fall are perfect in apple granola. These spices are what make this granola taste just like apple pie!
• Butter: Salted butter is what I use, you can use coconut oil instead.
• Maple syrup: You can use honey, agave, or brown rice syrup instead of maple syrup.
• Salt and vanilla extract: For flavor.
• One apple: Peel or leave the apple unpeeled.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Expert Tips

• Use this fresh apple granola recipe as a guideline for basic granola and customize it as you’d like. As long as you keep the ingredient amounts the same, it’s fine to substitute just about any nuts and dried fruits.
• If you like big clusters of nuts and oats press the oats mixture into little 1-inch ovals for the first 10 minutes of baking.
• Be sure to let the granola cool before eating or transferring it into a jar.
• The granola may soften after a day. To get the granola crispy again, spread the granola out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 7-8 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

• Yogurt Parfait: Layer your apple granola with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit slices for a balanced and filling breakfast. The creaminess of yogurt perfectly complements the crunchy granola.
• Smoothie Bowl: Sprinkle a generous amount of apple granola on top of a smoothie bowl for added texture and a burst of apple flavor. Popular smoothie base flavors like berry or banana work well with the apple granola.
• Oatmeal Topping: Elevate your regular oatmeal bowl by adding a crunch with your homemade apple granola. This makes for a hearty, high-fiber breakfast option that keeps you full longer.
• Ice Cream Enhancer: Serve the apple granola as a topping on vanilla or cinnamon ice cream for a delectable dessert experience. The cold creaminess of ice cream pairs wonderfully with the crunchy, spiced granola.

Recipe Variations

If you’re looking to switch things up, try any of these fantastic recipe variations. These simple alterations to our easy Apple Granola recipe retain the integrity of the original while adding a fresh twist.

• Apple Cinnamon Raisin Granola: Add a handful of raisins to the granola mixture before the last 10 minutes of baking for an extra burst of sweetness.
• Apple Granola with Seeds: Swap out the nuts with a mix of your favorite seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, for a nut-free version.
• Apple Granola with Chocolate Chips: Add some dark chocolate chips after the granola has cooled for a chocolatey twist.
• Spiced Apple Granola: Add an extra pinch of nutmeg or cardamom along with the other spices for an extra kick of flavor.

These granola variations let you adjust the recipe to your liking, making your homemade apple granola a delightful, personal treat. Enjoy it as a quick breakfast, an on-the-go snack, or a crunchy addition to your favorite dishes.

What To Do With Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

• Oats: Baked Apples, DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies, Overnight Oats, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Walnuts: Maple Walnut Muffin, Microwave Fudge, Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Coconut: Coconut Cream Pie, Coconut Macaroons, Mocha Oatmeal Bowl, Cowboy Cookies
• Maple syrup: Breakfast Bread Pudding, Roasted Salmon, Sweet Potato Pie, Pumpkin Soup
• Apples: Apple Pie For One, Apple Muffin, Apple Crisp, Breakfast Bread Pudding, Baked Apples

Discover More Small Batch Granola Recipes

• Butter Pecan Granola: Craving something nutty and buttery? Our Butter Pecan Granola is your go-to. It’s a delightful mix of pecans, rich butter, and just the right amount of sweetness.
• Gingerbread Granola: Spice up your granola game with our Gingerbread Granola. This variant is loaded with warming spices like ginger and cinnamon that make it perfect for the holidays or any cozy morning.
• Pumpkin Spice Granola: Ideal for autumn or anytime you’re in the mood for fall flavors, our Pumpkin Spice Granola combines pumpkin seeds, aromatic spices, and that unmistakable pumpkin essence for a seasonally inspired treat.

Elevate your granola experience with these exceptional small batch flavors. Each offers its own unique taste and texture, making your breakfast or snack time far from ordinary.