Granola is a great snack that can be expensive and unhealthy at the store. Make this easy, quick Almond Chai Granola at home!

I’ve been making homemade granola for over a year now and it has quickly become one of the staples I make on a regular basis, along with sourdough bread and sandwich bread (and protein bites!). I’ve been loving those items that you could buy from the store but can also make cheaper, healthier, and maybe even more interesting at home. Granola is definitely one of those things that falls into the “more interesting” category.

Now, I’m not sure why I categorize chai as a fall ingredient or a fall flavor, but I do. I don’t generally drink chai during the spring or summer. I don’t bake anything with chai flavors during those warmer months either. It is strictly a fall/winter flavor. How do you guys feel about chai?? All year long or only during those crisper, colder months?

I usually make this Maple & Sea Salt Granola, which this one also happens to be Josh’s favorite, but I’ve been experimenting with different flavors lately and because of that, I was out of my usual ingredients and hadn’t replaced them. Grace, my oldest, must have been feeling desperate for some granola to top her Greek yogurt because she ended up going to the store and buying granola there – and there is nothing wrong with that, but I took the hint and a few days later I made this Almond Chai Granola for the first time. It worked out really well because while I was out of all of my other usual ingredients, I happened to have everything on hand for this one! Perfect!

The result was Mmm. Seriously, the whole house smelled like fall – which I guess is a good thing or a bad thing depending on how ready for fall you are. I personally wouldn’t mind if summer stretched on for six months, but the aroma my house was filled with was warm and comforting and did get me just the teensiest bit excited for fall (Shh – don’t tell Josh that). (Editor’s Note: I have blocked this from my mind.)

I’ve made this recipe so many different times and it always tastes good, but I want to also mention that I’ve used multiple different kinds of almonds, so let me encourage you to also use what’s in your pantry. Don’t go out and buy a specific almond cut if you already have some at home that will work. For this recipe, I’ve used whole, raw almonds that were roughly chopped – which didn’t change the flavor, just mostly appearance and texture, seeing as how those almonds are, well, brown and they were a little chunkier. I’ve also used slivered and sliced almonds before too – I’m using slivered in these photos (it’s what I had the most of), and they work beautifully here. Already chopped, so I didn’t have to do anything but measure and pour, which just makes making granola a little simpler.

Also in this recipe, you will find that we’re using sweetened shredded coconut – which you can find in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. I tried the unsweetened and I didn’t like it. Buy the bag of sweetened coconut and then use the rest to make these Snowball Cupcakes or Macaroons.

I used rolled oats, but you could use quick oats. Just be sure not to use steel cut oats. That will result in a different flavor and texture, and I don’t think it tastes as good, personally.

This recipe probably takes 10-15 minutes to pull together – so about the length of two Bluey episodes, which is great! 😊 Add a third episode so you can get the dishes done and then you can move on with the next thing on your to-do list.

I will often just grab a handful of granola to snack on, but we also enjoy it over yogurt with some fruit and sometimes a drizzle of honey…which makes this a great recipe for kids and getting them fed before school! Just add toast and a glass of OJ! Easiest breakfast ever.

I hope you all enjoy this delightful little fall recipe and let me know your favorite way to enjoy granola in the comments.