Orange & Almond Granola
This homemade granola recipe is infused with amazing orange and honey flavors. It also features toasted almonds, cinnamon, vanilla and old-fashioned oats! This gluten-free granola makes a great breakfast or snack.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Of all the granola recipes on this blog, this orange-infused granola might be my new favorite. Granted, I’m on an orange kick right now (don’t miss this orzo salad and this green salad).
The combination of fresh orange zest, honey, cinnamon, toasted almonds, vanilla and golden raisins is undeniably divine. It reminds me of the flavors I encountered in my celebratory post-cookbook trip to Morocco this spring.
On the solo leg of my trip, I remember spreading homemade orange jelly across pastries in the gorgeous riad where I was staying, feeling both spoiled and lonely. The sights and scents were too beautiful to keep to myself.
This granola would be a fun and simple weekend project to make with your loved ones. It would also make a delicious gift for your friends, family or new neighbors. Enjoy it plain as a snack, or add milk or yogurt for a wholesome breakfast.
While we’re talking about granola, I have a tip for you. Don’t over-bake your granola! Properly baked granola will still be a bit soft to the touch right out of the oven, but it will continue crisping up as it cools. If you wait until the granola is dark and crispy before pulling it out, your granola will be dry and taste more toasty than anything else. You’ll lose the nuanced flavors of the spices, nuts and honey or maple syrup.
Most of my other granolas are entirely naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. This one includes the usual natural sweetener, plus two tablespoons of regular sugar. Think of the sugar as sandpaper, if you will—you’ll rub the orange zest into the sugar to extract maximum orange flavor. Then you’ll stir the orange zest and sugar combination into the other ingredients for incredible orange-flavored granola.
If you were just mixing orange zest into the other ingredients without first mixing it with sugar, you would need a lot more orange zest and you would end up with a lot more bald oranges! Give this trick a try with your other citrusy baked goods and you’ll get more flavor out of them.
Orange & Almond Granola
This homemade granola is infused with amazing orange and honey flavors. It also features toasted almonds, cinnamon, vanilla and old-fashioned oats! This granola recipe makes a great breakfast or snack. Recipe yields about 8 cups.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (from about 1 ½ oranges, preferably organic)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup raisins, preferably golden
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it’s bright orange and very fragrant. This step will ensure that your granola is infused with orange flavor.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, salt, cinnamon and orange sugar. Stir to combine. Pour in the olive oil, honey and vanilla, and mix well.
- Pour the granola onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread the granola into an even layer. Bake for 19 to 23 minutes, stirring halfway, until the granola is turning lightly golden in color. The granola will crisp up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool before stirring in the raisins and breaking up the granola into chunks as necessary. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey almond granola and cranberry orange granola.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas for the almonds.
Change it up: You can use other dried fruit (chopped if large) for the raisins. Dried apricots or cherries would be really nice here. You can also change up the nuts; pecans are great.
Recommended equipment: A Microplane is the perfect tool for removing zest from citrus, and you’ll get the most reliable baking results in a proper half sheet pan. (Those are affiliate links.)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Kate, I have been an evangelist of your granola for years, so when I see you post a new riff, I am all in! (There are a few houses we are not allowed to go visit without bringing a jar of your very best granola, notably my grandma’s! )
Seriously though, this one is amazing. It’s everything I want in the winter, warm, citrusy, and brightly flavored. I used evoo, and loved the slightly grassy note that it brought.
Thank you for all your hard work, we sure do appreciate cooking your tried and true recipes!
Thank you, Charlotte for your kind words. I’m glad it’s such a hit and that you are excited about this variation. I’m loving it!
Saw this recipe and marched right into the kitchen to make it. I roughly chopped the whole raw almonds and used half barley flakes and half thick rolled oaks. It took a full half hour in the oven to get toasty. It cooled to a perfect crunch. Diced dried apricots finished it off. Delicious! Easy! Thanks!
That’s fantastic! Thank you, Dee for sharing.
I love your granola and have been making a batch weekly and have shared your recipe and blog with several friends. I noticed the amount of vanilla for this version is much more than your standard recipe. Is this correct or could it be a mistake? I also have your cookbook and love it!
Thank you! No, that is not a mistake :) I really like how the extra vanilla and orange work together. Enjoy!
Just want to give you a general shout out for completely rockin it – I love your blog and have been making many recipes from your cookbook too and each time my mind is blown. So. Freaking. Good. Looking forward to see what 2018 brings! You have a gift. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
Well, thank you Sally! That made me smile. I appreciate your support!
I made this 3 times already and love it!! I made one batch without the orange zest and it was delicious. I’m a pastry chef, and will make this for the rest of my life! Thankyou so much from Australia for this beautiful recipe.
OMG–this granola is made with ALL the good stuff!!
I know, right?! :)
Wow, this looks like the real thing. Haven’t tried it yet, but it would be fun, perfect for camping trips and snacks at the office.
Let me know what you think when you do!
Granola with healthy stuff. keep sharing.
Thank you, Olive for the review!
Your “best ever” granola recipe is my go-to, so I’m sure I’ll love this one as well! I love cinnamon-y granola, but a punch of citrus sounds like the perfect way to switch things up. I’d love to see a healthier chocolate granola recipe too!
-Claire
The orange is so good! It’s seriously a favorite right now. Let me know what you think when you try it!
Love this granola. Very easy to make. The vibrant orange flavour makes this granola very special. Lovely with fruit and Greek yogurt.
I’m glad you think so too, Stephanie! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi C&K! I’ve enjoyed making so many of your recipes over the past year and a half, they have made my family’s transition to “house vegetarians” very enjoyable, thank you!
I made this recipe last night, it is quite good, but I think the table salt conversion is a tich too high, I think cutting it back to 1/2 tsp may be the way to go.
It really benefits the flavor when it is cooked. However, if you need to cut back then do it :) Thank you!
This granola is amazing. I had some with a bowl of plain Greek yogurt this morning and have been sneaking into the kitchen to snack on it. So easy to make and so darn good. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
This is crazy delicious!
Glad you think so, Eve-Marie!
Love this granola recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Shelly!
My partner makes granola for us every week. It’s basically all we eat for breakfast. Although I’ve followed your blog for ages and am working my through your cookbook, I’d never had one of you granola recipes. I saw this one and sent it to him right away to make this week. He always uses maple syrup because we find honey makes the granola stickier than we like. It is delicious! The vanilla and orange is such a nice change from the usual cinnamon flavour. Thanks Kate! I’ll definitely be trying out more of your granola recipes.
Thank you, Isobel for trying it! I’m a pretty big fan of this variation myself. If you would want to leave a start review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
Wow! I thought your Favorite Granola recipe would always be my favorite, but I have to say, this one has it beat! The orange flavor is just an incredible combination with the crunchy almonds and golden raisins! Love the sugar trick to infuse every bite with the orange flavor. Amazing! Thank you!
It’s a nice variation, right?! Thank you, Amanda. I’m really glad you like it. I appreciate the review!
I made the granola with my daughter and it is fabulous! I’m making another batch for her to take back to school. Thank you for another great recipe.
That sounds fun! Cooking with your daughter. Thank you, Karen. I appreciate it.
Great Recipe!
My daughters loved tasting the citrus sugar bowl. It was very fragrant and easy to make. When mixing the granola I found it didn’t always bind and there were more loose oats than bunches, so i was puzzled by that even though i carefully mixed it for a few minutes. Also, it was important not to bake too long as that could lead to a loss of the citrus aroma as it could easily burn.
Cheers!
Phil
It really clumps when you bake it and then let it cool fully. :) Thanks for your comment and review!
Yeah! Another orange-flavored treat. Your favorite creamy chia pudding is a favorite of mine as well. (I don’t seem to have a problem using orange juice.) So fresh and light. I make your recipe for cashew milk and use only 3 cups in the pudding so it is nice and creamy.
Ever had “Goodpop” Orange n’ Cream flavor? It’s made with coconut cream and orange juice. A wonderful, vegan orange creamsicle.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I do particularly well with your soups and salads.
Best wishes, Oriana in Eugene, Oregon
The citrus is just so good right now! Both are really great recipes. Thanks for your comment. :)
I’m eating this for breakfast right now with Greek yogurt, and it’s delicious! The orange flavor is strong and so refreshing on this grey winter day.
It’s very lively! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth.
What a delicious and easy- to- make granola!
It’s especially nice during the cold, long winter here!
Thanks so much!
Marisa
You’re welcome! I’m happy you find it perfect for this time of year.
Our go to granola recipe since the day it was posted. I think this is my 5th time making it. It is the best granola, thank you! I mail packages to my daughter. The infusion of orange is brilliant.
That’s great! The orange. I know it makes it hard not to eat it all!
This might be my favorite granola ever! Love the different spin with the citrus. Delicious!
The orange is so good! I’m glad it’s your favorite, Amanda.
I love this – and so does everyone else that’s tried it. My daughter just moved away for university and I’m still having to send out batches to her – and she doesn’t like almonds normally. The orange/almond/vanilla ratios are perfect. Thank you
I do love everything I’ve tried from your website
Hooray! I love to hear that. It’s so good! I’m glad it’s such a hit for you.
I’ve made Kate’s granola recipes from her cookbook and website and this one ROCKS! Soooooo good! I love how Kate gives you options to use what you have in your pantry (I used both honey and maple syrup). Thanks Kate for another fantastic recipe!
Thank you, Allison! :) I really appreciate it!
Well, I LOVE cereal but don’t buy even the “natural” cereals at the health food store since the second ingredient is usually sugar. I altered this recipe a little bit but I absolutely LOVE it and put it in a bowl with banana slices and some organic unsweetened vanilla almond milk and it was the best. Instead of the sugar, I used raw organic Glory Bee honey. It mixed in just fine! Then I used roasted salted whole almonds. Also I used half and half olive oil/coconut oil. It did take longer to toast, so I cranked it to 375 and chose “convection” and it finished toasting. But… It is AMAZING. That toasty, orange goodness is wonderful. I love your recipes and your site!
Thanks for sharing your variations, Debby! I appreciate the review.
I’ve been making my own granola for over 30 years but I never thought about using orange zest. This granola is so fragrant and has the perfect texture. And that tablespoon of vanilla… yum!
I know, right! Night twist to a homemade granola.
I made a batch June 6th. Burned my fingers trying to eat it before it was cool. Here is it is June 8th, and I’m making another batch. So.Dang.Good!
Hi ma’am it’s delicious but 1query is that how can we make in bars plz reply it’s urgent thanks in advance
I have some great granola bar recipes! This is one that is similar to this granola recipe: https://sooka.info/2015/cranberry-orange-granola-bars/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This granola is amazing! I made a batch last night and I’ve already eaten half of it. My family would hardly let me pour it off the baking sheet into a container to take back to college with me.
The only orange we had was quite old so I wasn’t able to get too much zest off it, but even without it, it still tastes wonderful! Plus, it probably costs a dollar to make and you’d pay $6 in the store for something not even comparable in taste! Definitely a keeper, thank you!
It is that good! I know what you mean. It’s so hard to not stop eating it!
Hi Kate, I love your recipes and have made many of them. I just made a big batch of the orange almond granola. Unfortunately, the orange flavour is so weak that I don’t think it was worth the work of grating all those oranges. I even added orange flavouring to help boost the flavour without much success. I think I will just stick to your basic granola recipe. Everyone loves that. I think a bag of it would make awesome Christmas gifts for neighbors!
Hi! I’m sorry it didn’t quite turn out for you. Did you mix the zest in with the sugar first until hit had a good orange sugar mixture? I’m glad you like the other granola too! It’s also delicious.
I find a good (and sharp) lemon zester rather than using your everyday cheese grater makes zesting super fast and easy. I also made 2 batches, one I over-baked and can’t taste the orange in it at all, the other I baked just right and I can taste it. Hope that helps!
This is the best granola recipe I have ever made. I love the orange flavor!!
I’m glad you love it! It’s hard to stop eating that’s for sure.
Really easy recipe. Smells delicious in the oven. I made my on fan bake and slightly over baked it so my bad, still very edible but lesson learnt! Find it quite salty for my taste so I would only put a quarter tsp in next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m a lover of all your recipes, and this one is absolutely delicious. The only modification I had to make was to the cooking time. My granola required about 30-35 minutes to crisp.
A lover of all of them, fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Ovens can vary for sure. Make sure to not bake it too long though! It does continue to cook as it cools.
Wow!! I had my doubts because I’ve never made granola before and I halved it for that reason. It came out fantastic! I had no almonds but had pecans and cashews so in they went. This will be my go to granola recipe. The zest makes it bright and fresh.
Happy to hear that, Judith!
This was so wonderful! Perfect over vanilla yogurt with winter citrus! Thank you!
That sounds delicious! Thank you for your review, Lauren.
Kate, I am your new biggest fan! I share your site with others at work, and sometimes share some of what I make from your site. But this, I kept for myself!! HA! Yes, it’s that good! No sharing! I did find it to be very sweet, but love the orange flavor. I am curious, why do you add the fruit after baking? I find adding it after baking it won’t meld into the pieces of granola. I like mine chunky, so I wait for it to cool to break into big chunks. YUM! But I struggle adding the fruit after, as it ends up at the bottom of the jar since it isn’t baked in. Also, where do you find dried fruit with no sugar? Everything has sugar in it! Cherries, pineapple, everything! Any sources with no sugar?
Hi Cindy! I’m glad you love this granola and welcome to C+K. I add the mix-ins after. I find they don’t cook well. You could always add your mix-ins by serving if you like. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Kate,
I made this granola today & it turned out to be amazing & it’s definitely my go to recipe for future.
I added pecans & almonds instead of just almonds & 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (I like the seed crunch in my granola) & added the whites of 2 eggs for added protein boost.
I loved the orange smell in my house.
Thank you so much
Thanks for your feedback, Nida!
Hi Kate, I just made this granola and it’s absolutely scrumptious!! Thank you for sharing!! :)
I’m really happy you are enjoying it, Joy! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Kate!
Big fan here- haven’t found a recipe I didn’t like yet!
I have a million dates kicking around and was thinking of trying your granola with them! What are your thoughts… Should I reduce the honey to compensate for the sweetness?
Thanks :)
Hey Louise, thanks for your note! I have never tried using dates/date paste in granola. I’m afraid it would produce soggy granola (the honey/maple syrup essentially caramelizes as it bakes), but if you give it a shot, please let me know!
I did end up making the recipe using whole pitted dates instead of the raisins. Cut them into smaller pieces. They were pretty old, so sort of drier rather than gooey. Worked great and not too sweet! Will be making it again :)
This is seriously the best granola I have ever tasted – the orange zest sends it over the edge! I just had to leave a comment because it is SO good. :)
The zest really does it! Thanks, Melanie.
This has been a very pleasant change from my go to granola recipe. It works well on a number of different recipes I like to dress up. Very happy I gave it a try.
Great to hear, Elizabeth! Thanks for your review.
So tasty. I didn’t have any raisins so subbed in chopped dates. Came out great. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
question: can I use molasses in granola? would that work?
I have a gingerbread granola that uses it, but I don’t think it would work the best with this one. It will overpower the other flavors.
WOW, Kate this was so, sooo good!!! I make a lot of granola and this is possibly the best I’ve tried! The orange flavor was outstanding paired with cinnamon and honey. My one-year-old devoured his bowl!
Great to hear you and your kiddo loved it, Jessica! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi, my cookies are activated but I can’t see the nutritional info for any of your recipes! ☹ I’d really love to try them but need to know this info before I can so feeling a bit stuck! I’ve commented on a few.of your other recipes too – is there.any way you could please reply with the nutritional info for them?
Thanks!
Made this today and it was outstanding!! Thanks to you I have been trying out recipes that I have never made before in my life (From South India, so my cooking has been mostly Indian vegetarian cooking) and every single one of them has been delicious bar none. Thank you for such precise measurements and techniques that allow anyone to safely try and succeed at making awesome food. Keep sharing and showcasing your wonderful recipes!
This recipe is a delight! I made it just as my boys went for a nap and it was ready for all of us to snack on when they woke up! I (sadly) ran out of almonds on this recipe, so I made up the difference with walnuts. I also choose to use 2 tsps almond extract rather than the 1 tbsp vanilla since I loved it so much in another granola recipe I made (one I won’t be going back to after this!). I also have to say, I was very excited to tell my husband about the orange zest and sugar trick, being as food has become my hobby since having kids ;) Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing, Jenn!
Also forgot to mention that I decreased the honey to 1/3rd cup. I MIGHT decide to do the full 1/2 cup next time?
I find 1/2 cup works best.
Kate, my family loves, loves, loves all your granola recipes! I made this one today with walnuts and dried cherries. Thanks for your hard work to create all the wonderful recipes on your site!
You’re welcome, Traci!
I have followed quite a few of your recipes and really enjoyed them; the balance of flavours have been spot on. Unfortunately this is far to sweet for my palete. I wonder whether I should have used teaspoons of sugar instead of 2 tablespoons.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one! To get the zest to be really orange like and go throughout the granola, I like the two tablespoons. Let me know what you think with less. I’m not sure how the zest will mix with less.
This granola was fun to make and is very very tasty! I recently had a double bypass and have to pay strict attention to what I eat; this will satisfy my snack cravings while also being a healthy addition to my diet. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
My favorite granola recipe I make it all the time!
I just made this granola for probably the 50th time this year… I love this recipe so much–it’s simple and versatile!!! The options of using maple syrup or honey and olive oil or coconut oil, makes it where I always have the ingredients on hand. I normally use evaporated cane juice for the sugar, but today I accidentally used turbinado sugar. I like the result!