Learn how to make big crunchy clusters of vanilla almond granola from scratch! It’s really easy—you just need 1 bowl & 7 ingredients! No oil or refined sugar & only 140 calories!
Throughout most of high school and college, I ate the same thing for breakfast nearly every day: a bowl of Trader Joe’s “Cranberry Almond Clusters” cereal with crunchy granola, cornflakes, bran flakes, dried cranberries, and almonds. Since my college town lacked a Trader Joe’s and freshmen weren’t allowed to have cars in the dorms, my parents brought me two big grocery bags full of those cereal boxes each time they visited me at college because I loved it so much!
Yet the times I came home from college, I noticed that Dad began buying different cereal for his breakfasts. He stocked their pantry shelves with boxes of Trader Joe’s “Just The Clusters” instead, which only contained my favorite part… Those big, sweet, crunchy granola clusters!
Yum! But dangerous… Very dangerous.
While at home, I developed a new routine. I still ate my own cereal in the morning, but mid-afternoon and in the evenings after dinner, I started snacking on a small ramekin of Dad’s “Just The Clusters” cereal. He didn’t seem to mind… He just started buying twice as many boxes!
Although we sampled just about every flavor that Trader Joe’s offered, Dad and I agreed that the boxes of maple pecan and vanilla almond were our favorites. Yet even after a Trader Joe’s opened in my college town, I refrained from buying any boxes of my own… I wanted to keep it a special “at home” treat, and I knew just how tempted I’d be to polish off an entire box in two days in my apartment!
And this Healthy Vanilla Almond Granola was inspired by those boxes of Trader Joe’s clusters! It’s just as crunchy and has the same flavors, yet unlike TJ’s, it contains no oil or refined sugar. Even better? You only need one bowl to make it!
Just don’t leave me alone with it… ?
Let’s go over how to make this healthy vanilla almond granola!
It’s super easy to make—I promise! Just one bowl, remember? And the first thing you’ll put in that bowl is egg whites. I know, egg whites sound a bit strange for a granola recipe… But let me explain!
The egg whites bind together all of the ingredients instead of oil or butter (which makes this healthy vanilla almond granola much lower in calories!), and the egg whites give your granola a protein boost, too. Total win-win situation, right??
Psst… Don’t worry—you do not end up with chunks of egg in your granola! It’s just like when you use an egg in your cookie dough. Your cookies don’t end up with chunks of egg, right? So your granola won’t either. I promise!
Next comes vanilla extract (it’s hard to make healthy vanilla almond granola without it!) and honey. Trader Joe’s uses honey as one of the sweeteners in their vanilla almond granola, so I decided to use it too.
Time for the cereals! Yes, plural… You’re using both old-fashioned oats and crisp brown rice cereal (this kind!) in your healthy vanilla almond granola. The oats provide that classic hearty granola flavor and texture, and the rice cereal adds a big crunch without depending on extra oil. Such a great trick, right?
And finally, you’ll add sliced almonds (this kind!) to your healthy vanilla almond granola. But check your package of almonds first! If they’re “natural” or raw, then I typically add them to the granola mixture before baking. If they’re already toasted, then I wait to sprinkle them in until after the granola bakes so they don’t end up tasting burnt.
I learned this amazing trick to baking the perfect extra crunchy, really big granola clusters from my friend Phi’s cookbook… You actually use a jelly roll cake pan lined with a silicone baking mat for baking instead of a traditional 9×13” cake pan!
A jelly roll cake pan is a large rimmed baking sheet, and this gives you more surface area to spread out your healthy vanilla almond granola. With more surface area, the granola bakes faster and more evenly… Which means you won’t need to stir the granola as much. Less stirring → bigger clusters because you aren’t constantly moving them around (and therefore breaking them up into itty bitty pieces!).
I love little nerdy baking tips like that!
One last thing! If your healthy vanilla almond granola turns a really deep dark brown while baking, that’s totally okay! From my granola baking experience, honey tends to caramelize and turn a much deeper shade of brown than other sweeteners. As long as it isn’t black and burnt, you’re doing just fine!
So… I actually gave my dad this entire batch of granola (minus one handful) when I saw him last weekend because… I knew I’d be much too tempted to eat it all myself! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy vanilla almond granola!
| Healthy Vanilla Almond Granola | 5.0 from 5 reviews |
I’m one of the biggest granola fans in the world, and this recipe is one of my favorites! Sweet crunchy clusters, rich vanilla flavor, and an extra crunch from the almonds too. Delicious! The granola will keep for at least 1 week (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container.
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) honey
- 2 cups (60g) crisp brown rice cereal
- 1 ½ cups (150g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
- ¼ cup (28g) sliced almonds (see Notes!)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (highly recommended!) or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until the egg whites are broken up and slightly bubbly. Stir in the honey. Pour in the brown rice cereal and oats, and gently stir with a spatula until both cereals are evenly coated. Gently stir in the almonds.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes. Gently stir and move the clusters around the pan to break up the granola and prevent the bits closest to the edge from burning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then gently stir again. Bake for an additional 4-7 minutes (for a total of 34-37 minutes), or until the granola is golden and crunchy. Cool the granola completely to room temperature on the pan before transferring to an airtight container.
Notes: For a stronger vanilla flavor, increase the vanilla extract by an additional ½ or 1 teaspoon.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
Regular crisp rice cereal (i.e. Rice Krispies) may be substituted in place of the brown rice cereal.
These are the sliced almonds I used! Only add the sliced almonds to your granola before baking if they’re “natural” or raw. If you’re using sliced almonds that have already been toasted, they may end up burning in the oven—so add them AFTER the granola has finished baking instead!
You do NOT end up with bits of egg in your granola! It’s just like when you put eggs in cookie dough. You don’t end up with chunks of scrambled cooked eggs in your cookies, right? Same thing here! You thoroughly mix together the ingredients so you’ll never see bits of cooked egg in your granola. I promise!
The brown rice cereal adds a big crunch to your granola clusters without any extra oil or butter. It’s such a great trick, and I use it in all of my granola recipes! (If you check the ingredients in your favorite store-bought granola cereals, I bet some of them use rice cereal as well!)
If your healthy vanilla almond granola turns a really deep dark brown while baking, that’s totally okay! From my granola baking experience, honey tends to caramelize and turn a much deeper shade of brown than other sweeteners. As long as it isn’t black and burnt, it should be just fine!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
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♡Healthy Maple Pecan Granola
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♡Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Granola
♡Healthy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Granola
♡Healthy Almond Joy Granola
♡Healthy 5-Ingredient Trail Mix Granola
