Coconut Granola with Almonds and Cardamom

This Coconut Granola with Almonds and Cardamom is super easy to make, naturally sweetened with honey, and packed full of nutritious ingredients. The warming flavors of cardamom and cinnamon pair so well with the toasty coconut and almonds!

Cardamom is a really unique, warm, delicious spice that is really infrequently used. I’ve used mine in the past for one recipe only: Norwegian waffles, which I usually make on Christmas morning (I have not blogged about them, but you can read more about them here).

When I go to Indian restaurants, I love getting the cardamom flavored rice pudding for dessert.

The one thing I never thought of putting it in? GRANOLA! GENIUS! (Thank you to Rachel at Little Chef Big Appetite for the inspiration!)

I love making granola at home for the following reasons:

1. The house smells BEYOND amazing while it cooks.
2. It’s so much cheaper than buying it at the store.
3. As long as you have rolled oats, you can basically use whatever other pantry items (nuts, seeds, dried fruit) you have to make it.
4. You can control the sugars and fats that go into it to be healthier than store-bought.

For this coconut granola, I used dried coconut flakes, sliced raw almonds, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds as the base, with cinnamon and cardamom for spice, and a mixture of honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to coat.

To make granola, mix together some coconut oil and honey (or, for a vegan version, maple syrup or brown sugar) in a large bowl after microwaving for a few seconds to warm it up. This will allow the mixture to coat all of the ingredients evenly.

Then, add the spices (cardamom and cinnamon), as well as some vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Just add in some oats, raw unsalted almonds (I used sliced, but you can use slivered if you want), seeds (a mixture of pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds), and finally some dried coconut and raisins.

Stir together all the ingredients and bake on a parchment covered baking sheet at 325 for about 20 minutes (or until lightly browned).

When taken out of the oven, it must cool down before being eaten. The reason for this is two-fold. One: it is insanely hot. Two: it needs to clump together and solidify by cooling down. It will be difficult, but don’t be tempted to nibble too early!

After it cools, some of the pieces to stick together creating great granola clumps. (note- more clumps will happen if you use regular white or brown sugar rather than honey, since it solidifies more at room temperature).

I also added a little more dried coconut flakes after it had cooled. That way, it had both toasted coconut flavors and that fresh, crunchy flavor of the uncooked dried coconut. Plus, the bright white looked pretty all mixed in!

This coconut granola with almonds and cardamom will last for about two weeks in an airtight container, jar, or bag in your pantry. I like to eat it with plain yogurt and strawberries (which taste so great with the warm cinnamon and cardamom). It’s also great on its own as a snack or with milk.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these DIY no-bake chewy granola bars and these whole grain banana blueberry oat muffins.

Here’s the printable recipe- enjoy!

Coconut Granola with Almonds and Cardamom

This Coconut Granola with Almonds and Cardamom is a nutrient-packed granola recipe sweetened with honey and scented with the warm flavors of cardamom and cinnamon. This will make your house smell beyond amazing as it bakes!

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Elizabeth Lindemann

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes divided
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 cup honey use maple syrup, brown sugar, or agave for a vegan version
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the honey (or other sweetener) and coconut oil. Microwave for 20 seconds, until warmed slightly. Stir until coconut oil melts (if solid to start), and add in vanilla extract, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. (alternatively, you can melt this on the stovetop).
3. Add the oats, 1/2 cup of the coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and raisins to the bowl. Mix together until the mixture is coated in the coconut oil and honey mixture.
4. Spread in a thin layer on the prepared baking sheet; bake for approximately 20 minutes until lightly toasted.
5. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes without stirring. Add the remaining 1/2 cup coconut.
6. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container or bag for up to two weeks in your pantry.

Notes

• The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Information Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:

Very Well Fit Nutrition Information Calculator

My Fitness Pal Recipe Nutrition Calculator

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