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This golden milk-inspired granola recipe is perfectly crispy and made with the most delicious blend of warming spices.
What happens when you combine the richly-spiced flavors of golden milk with my favorite crunchy granola?
This delicious bowl of sunshine. ♡
Turns out that the classic warming spices found in golden milk — the earthy notes of turmeric, the sweetness of cinnamon, the gentle spice of ginger, plus a hint of black pepper — bake perfectly into a batch of homemade granola. The spices give everything the most beautiful vibrant golden color, making the granola clusters all the lovelier when sprinkled over yogurt or served with a splash of milk or enjoyed by the handful.
I’ve used my favorite mix of oats, nuts and seeds here, which bake up into perfectly crunchy clusters. And if you enjoy dried fruit in your granola, I recommend tossing in some golden raisins or dried apricots to keep with the “golden” theme. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan, rich in nutrients and protein, and full of the coziest flavors. So the next time you’re craving granola, I highly recommend giving it a try!
Golden Granola Ingredients
Here are a few quick notes about the golden granola ingredients you will need to make this recipe:
- Oats: Old-fashioned oats (a.k.a. rolled oats) are the hearty base for this granola, soaking up all of the spices and giving each bite a hint of chewy texture.
- Nuts and seeds: I love using a mix of sliced or slivered almonds, chopped pecans and sunflower seeds in this granola, which adds a rich blend of nutty flavors, crunchy texture and protein to the recipe.
- Coconut flakes: I recommend using the larger variety of unsweetened coconut flakes here, which add a touch of sweetness as well as larger light wisps of texture to the granola. But you’re also more than welcome to use unsweetened shredded coconut if that’s more easily available where you live.
- Dried fruit: I love adding either chopped dried apricots or golden raisins to this granola, to keep with the “golden” theme. But feel free to add in whatever dried fruits you have on hand or love best.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup gives natural sweetness and caramel-like flavor to the granola, pairing perfectly with the golden spices.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil helps the granola crisp up perfectly while baking and gives it very subtle extra hint of coconut flavor. If you don’t love coconut, feel free to sub in avocado oil or whatever other neutral-flavored cooking oil that you love best.
- Spices: We’ll add the classic mix of golden milk warming spices to season the granola — ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground turmeric, and black pepper. (The black pepper aids in the absorption of the nutrients in the turmeric, plus it tastes delicious.) Then we’ll also add in a pinch of fine sea salt to bring out the best of these flavors.
- Vanilla extract: Finally, we will add in a splash of pure vanilla extract, which enhances all of the other flavors and makes the granola taste extra cozy.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few variations that you’re welcome to try with this golden granola recipe:
- Add chocolate. Mix chocolate chips or chunks into the granola once it has completely cooled.
- Add citrus zest. Sprinkle orange or lemon zest over the granola once it comes out of the oven.
- Use different nuts/seeds. Sub in pepitas, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios in place of any of the nuts/seeds.
- Use different dried fruit. Sub dried mango, dried pineapple, or dried cranberries in place of the raisins or apricots.
More Granola Recipes
Looking for more homemade granola recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon each: fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 3 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats
- 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots or golden raisins (or a mix of the two)
- Prep the oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the wet ingredients. Combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla extract and black pepper in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until the coconut oil has melted and the mixture is warm (but not quite simmering), whisking until evenly combined. Remove from heat.
- Add the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, almonds, coconut flakes, pecans and sunflower seeds. Drizzle the maple syrup mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently toss until evenly combined.
- Bake. Spread the granola out evenly on the sheet pan and then gently press it down with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, then without stirring, remove the pan and rotate it 180° (so that it will cook evenly from front to back). Bake for 15-20 more minutes until the granola is lightly golden on top. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let it cool completely.
- Serve. Use your hands to break the granola up into your desired size of chunks. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy! Leftover granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
