This Trader Joe's inspired cinnamon roll granola is super clustery and made with whole grains and natural sugars. The best yogurt topping!
Anyone else hooked on the Trader Joe's cinnamon roll granola? Unfortunately, I am. It's unfortunate because I'm Canadian, and the closest Trader Joe's is at least a two hour drive across the border.
Well fellow Canadians, I've taken matters into my own hands and recreated the recipe so we can enjoy it too. This cinnamon roll granola is crunchy, clustery and a delicious white chocolate drizzle, similar to the original. Your house will smell AMAZING, just like a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Lower in sugar. Most store bought granola can be loaded with added sweeteners and sugar, so making it at home is a great option. This recipe uses only banana and honey (plus a touch of white chocolate) and it is just sweet enough!
- Easily gluten and dairy-free. We're all about customizable recipes that can fit any dietary restriction.
- Budget friendly. Let's be honest, store bought granola can get pricey. This cinnamon roll granola uses pantry staples that you can even buy in bulk to further reduce costs.
Ingredients
Oats. The base of every granola recipe. I use minute oats in my recipes because that's what is most available to me, but rolled and quick oats work too.
Banana. For natural sweetness! I have never tried to make this recipe without the banana, however you could try to increase the other wet ingredients and see if it works.
Nut Butter. This is the glue that keeps everything together, plus adds healthy fats. I made this granola with l peanut butter but any nut butter works!
Honey. A natural sweetener and binder that works with the nut butter to hold the granola together. Similar to the banana, the honey acts as a way to make this granola a little sweeter without added cane sugar.
Cinnamon. LOTS of cinnamon! You can't have cinnamon roll granola without cinnamon. Seriously, the more cinnamon the better.
Nuts and seeds. This is totally up to you. I've tried this granola with just chopped almonds. I've tried with a mix of walnuts, almonds, chia and hemp seeds. I've even tried with cashews. The choice is yours!
White chocolate. The classic Trader Joe's cinnamon roll granola has a yogurt based drizzle. Unfortunately it's tricky to harden the yogurt without freezingn the granola, so I opted for a white chocolate drizzle instead. I recommend using bakers white chocolate as it melts well.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, nut butter, honey, cinnamon, mashed banana, vanilla extract, and salt.
Evenly spread and press the granola onto a prepared baking sheet in one large piece (it should easily stick together). You can press it down until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle half of the additional cinnamon over the top of the granola before putting it in the oven.
Bake granola for 30-35 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least one hour to allow the granola to harden.
To melt white chocolate, combine white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in increments of 30 seconds until fully melted.
After the granola has cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate and place in the freezer until the chocolate has set (about 10 minutes).
Break the granola into pieces (I like bigger chunks) and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
To make dairy-free: Use dairy-free white chocolate.
To make vegan: Use a dairy-free white chocolate and swap the honey for maple syrup. Note that maple syrup is thinner than honey and might result in less chunky granola.
To make nut-free: Replace the nut butter with sunflower seed butter and swap all nuts for seeds of choice.
If you want to skip the white chocolate, toss the granola in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon for a cinnamon-toast crunch spin!
Equipment
Storage
Cinnamon roll granola can be stored for up to 2 months in the fridge in an airtight container. The fridge is best, as the white chocolate may melt if stored in the pantry.
The granola can also be frozen in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before eating so it can defrost.
Top Tip
For larger chunks of granola, ensure the granola mixture is in one single layer on your baking sheet prior to baking. This will essentially allow it to cook as a single piece that you can break into smaller pieces.
For the crunchiest granola, do not skip the cooling time! I know it may be tempting, but allowing it to fully cool will help it harden it stays nice and crunchy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This is a great healthy option as the base is made with fiber filled oats and healthy fats from the nuts/ seeds making it a great balanced option. For a more filling meal I recommend pairing with some protein like milk or yogurt and adding some berries for extra vitamins and minerals!
This granola can last up to 2 weeks if stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
I love it on yogurt bowls, air fryer banana splits, and chia pudding. It's a yummy topping on pretty much anything!
Nope, it just adds some protein, healthy fats and extra crunch. If you want to skip the nuts and seeds, you can replace with more oats.
No! Unless you are very sensitive to the taste of banana, you won't be able to taste the banana in this recipe! If you REALLY hate banana, you can replace it with an additional ¼ cup of maple syrup and ¼ cup of peanut butter!
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
If you love granola and cinnamon rolls, try these recipes next:
- Lower Sugar Chunky Chocolate Granola
- Easy Nut Free Granola Bars
- Greek Yogurt and Granola Banana Split
- Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this crunch kale winter salad with pomegranate, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Granola
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups oats rolled, quick or minute
- ¼ cup nut butter of choice peanut, cashew, almond butter, etc.
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup nuts or seeds of choice crushed walnuts, sliced almonds, hemp seeds, flax seed, etc.
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ of 1 medium banana mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Salt to taste
For white chocolate drizzle:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ounce bakers white chocolate
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, nut butter, honey, cinnamon, mashed banana, vanilla extract, and salt
- Evenly spread and press the granola onto a prepared baking sheet in one large piece (it should easily stick together). You can press it down until it’s about ¼ inch thick. If using:Sprinkle half of the additional cinnamon over the top of the granola before putting it in the oven.
- Bake granola for 30-35 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least one hour to allow the granola to harden.
- To melt white chocolate, combine white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in increments of 30 seconds until fully melted.
- After the granola has cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate and place in the freezer until the chocolate has set (about 10 minutes). Break the granola into pieces (I like bigger chunks) and enjoy!
Notes
- the banana can be replaced with an adidtional ¼ cup each of both honey and peanut butter
Hannah says
Hi! How much banana do you use?
Nicole Addison says
Oh no! I completely forgot to add that to the ingredient list- I just updated it! just 1/2 of one banana is all you will need!