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.
Oh my gosh… Just made this yesterday. The whole house smelled so amazing while this was baking and the taste was phenomenal. Will be using this recipe again and again for sure.
Also, thanks for sharing the tip about mixing the citrus zest with the sugar. I feel that may have really helped as I only had a few small oranges on hand and it’s good to know for future recipes as well.
Delicious and easy. Thanks
Thank you for your review, Magdalena!
I have been making this granola for years now, it is perfection. Everyone who tries it, loves it. I highly recommend using a decent quality olive oil (I use kirkland EVOO and its reliably tasty) as your oil, it adds a really nice depth to the flavor. Thank you so much for this excellent granola recipe!
You’re welcome, Carli!
Delicious! I love the orange flavor!
But, I find that it doesn’t crisp up as well as your original granola. Maybe because it calls for honey and olive oil in place of syrup and coconut oil. Do you find that using honey over syrup changes the way it crumbles after it is cooled?
I’m sorry to hear that! I haven’t experienced that with this recipe. You could try syrup instead. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, can’t wait to try this. Will the orange zest work with using coconut sugar instead of regular sugar? Thanks very much.
I recommend this best as written. If you try it, let me know!
Could you make this with melted butter substitute instead of oil?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
Your granola recipes are amazing! The Gingerbread granola was a new addition to the Christmas Day breakfast menu and a huge hit with all ages. I’ve already made it two more times since and it’s only the 6th of January. I can’t keep it in stock. Thank you and I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
This granola was so good. Thank you for sharing all your tasty recipes
I never leave comments but this is really the best granola I’ve ever had. It’s addictive. I use cashews and cranberries instead of almonds and raisins, and I chose the olive oil + honey route, not the maple + coconut oil option. This was a divine combination. The cranberry is a bit sour which offsets the sweetness nicely. Everything got nice and crunchy. I’ll make this every week!
Awesome! Your ‘very best granola’ has always been my favourite and go-to granola recipe. It was nice to try something different and oh wow, this recipe is perfection. I love the hint of orange, toasted almonds, and golden raisins. It also reminded me a little bit of Christmas, which is always nice. Thank you!
Sick and tired of sugary shop bought granola so I decided to make my own.
I came across your original recipe after asking Google.
I was delighted with the flavours and texture and I’m going to make your orange and almond one next.
Thankyou so much xx