Level up your homemade granola with vanilla-infused brown butter. It adds rich, nutty notes and *addictive* flavor to this crispy, clumpy granola kissed with maple, pecans, and warm spices. A little sweet, a little salty, very cozy, ultra-cronchy! You can make it gluten-free using certified gluten-free oats.
If you love making granola at home, like this pumpkin pie granola, then this brown butter granola is going to be a game-changer.
When I first shared this recipe back in 2012, there were no brown butter granola recipes on the internet. I was newly infatuated with browning butter with vanilla bean, a trick I picked up from my pastry chef days, and I theorized that the golden goodness would add big flavor to granola.
I simmered butter with vanilla bean and when it was golden and toasty, I stirred it into a mix of oats, maple syrup, nuts, and baking spices. I used my favorite no-stir granola technique that was included in Food52 Genius Desserts (affiliate link) where I bake the granola in a single sheet for even browning.
I broke the baked giant granola sheet into mega-clusters ready for nomming. I was hard-pressed not eat the whole batch right then and there!
This brown butter granola is:
- crispy & crunchy
- full of giant clumps and clusters
- rich with vanilla, brown butter, and maple
- kissed with cinnamon and nutmeg
- super addictive!
Today there are loads of brown butter granola recipes online. But this is my very original formula, the one I come back to again and again when I'm craving some crunchy goodness. I hope you love it too!
Ingredients
This granola takes just 9 ingredients and yet the results are greater than the sum of its parts.
- Butter cooked until golden with vanilla bean brings rich, nutty, umami flavor. You can omit the vanilla bean, adding 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with the maple if you prefer.
- Oats form the base of the granola. Use certified gluten-free oats if need be, such as Bob's Red Mill brand.
- Nuts add crunch and substance. I like using a mix of pecans and almonds, but other nuts or seeds can stand in for either.
- Maple syrup and coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple sugar add sweetness and earthy flavor.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg add cozy vibes. You could swap golden pumpkin pie spice for a twist.
- Salt balances the flavors, making you want to go back for more!
- Sometimes when I'm feeling frisky, I add a splash of bourbon whiskey here. Rum or brandy would be fun too! Be sure to source gluten-free spirits if need be.
Method
Homemade granola is so easy to make, and it tastes worlds above store-bought. It takes about 10 minutes to mix up, plus 45 minutes to bake.
Storage
This granola keeps like a dream, stying crispy for up to 1 month. Store it airtight in a jar at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
If you can resist nomming all the granola straight from the pan, here are some ways to enjoy it:
- eat straight from the jar for a snack
- serve with yogurt and sauteed apples for breakfast, or with plant milk and bananas or berries
- crumble it over vanilla ice cream or horchata ice cream
- use it to top creamy spiced pumpkin pudding
- saute apple slices and top with quick whipped mascarpone and granola
- divide it among pretty jars, tie with twine or ribbon, and give an edible gift
However you enjoy this brown butter granola, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this brown butter granola recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Crunchy, Clustery Brown Butter Granola
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Wet Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, added with the maple syrup)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (2 ounces)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (225 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if need be)
- ½ cup (60 g) raw almonds (whole or sliced)
- ½ cup (60 g) raw pecan halves
- ⅓ cup (50 g) coconut sugar or maple sugar (or ¼ cup / 50 g brown sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
Instructions
Prepare Things
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a second rimmed baking sheet and piece of parchment ready.
Brown the Butter
- Cook the butter in a medium saucepan (light-colored if you have one) over medium heat with the vanilla bean and scrapings, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty, about 5-10 minutes. When the butter foams up, watch it closely so that it doesn't burn. There should be dark brown (but not black, save for the vanilla seeds) flecks of toasted milk solids on the bottom of the pan, and the butter should be golden in color.
- Pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup to stop the cooking, scraping in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Let the butter cool slightly, then stir in the salt and maple syrup to dissolve the salt.
- Combine the oats, almonds, pecans, maple sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture, tossing to combine thoroughly.
- Dump the mixture onto the lined baking sheet, and spread it into a thin sheet no thicker than an almond. Ideally, the edges will be slightly thicker than the center as they will bake faster. Lay the second piece of parchment over the granola, and place the second sheet pan on top, right-side up, making a granola sandwich of sorts.
Bake
- Slide the whole thing into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate and continue baking another 10 - 20 minutes, peeking under the parchment to make sure the edges aren't burning, until the granola is a rich golden brown. It will still be soft, but will crisp up as it cools. (You can test for doneness by letting a small cluster cool on the counter. If it's crisp at room temperature, the granola should be good to go.)
- Let the granola cool completely in the sheet pan sandwich, then break it up into clusters and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If the granola is still soft when cool, no worries; break it up a bit and slip it, uncovered, back into a low oven, around 225ºF, until the granola is golden and crisps up when cooled. You can also revive stale granola this way.
Notes
- Enjoy this granola with milk and fresh fruit for breakfast, alone for a crunchy snack, or over ice cream for a decadent dessert. It makes a welcome gift, and will stay crisp in an airtight container for up to a month.
- I originally included 2 tablespoons of whiskey in this recipe – feel free to add some (gluten-free if needed, or use dark rum or brandy) if you like.
jenny says
Hi
I just roasted some quince last night, after mixing up some apple and rye punch for me and my husband. Tomorrow I'll make puff pastry, apple quince turnovers, and now this granola! I think I make more recipes from your lovely blog than anywhere else. Just wanted to say thanks!:)
jenny
Alanna says
Reading your sweet comment completely made my day. Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the recipes! Please let me know how you like the turnovers, puff pastry and granola, too. :)
jenny says
Hi Alanna,
Well, I made the granola last night, and we ate it for breakfast this morning. My kids said it was the best granola they had ever eaten. As for the turnovers and puff pastry, yummy! I used all AP flour, just because I wasn't in the mood for whole grains, but otherwise followed your lead. I loved the dough -- it was so fun to watch it transform from a rough pile to a smooth, sturdy dough.
If I made a list of all the things that I have baked from your blog, it would be long! My family loved the pink pearl custard cake (and I discovered pink pearls!), and the GF pumpkin brownies. My entire neighborhood ate the double batch of GF espresso cream cheese brownies I baked last summer. We have eaten pancakes, cookies, crisps and a buttermilk pie, among others.
My thanks again.
Alanna says
Hi Jenny,
I can't tell you how honored I am to hear that. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, and for taking the time to write. It means so much!
J.G. says
Hi Alanna,
Great recipe! I am totally trying this tonight!
Here in Australia, we like to add bits of dried fruit to our granola, I've never made one with bourbon before, could you recommend anything that would work well with this recipe?
Thanking you,
Jay
Alanna says
Hi Jay,
Do you mean what sorts of fruit would go well with this? I'm thinking dried cranberries, tart cherries, or peaches would all be nice. I would add the fruit after you've baked and cooled the granola, otherwise it can get dried out and hard. Let me know how you like it!
J.G. says
Hi Alanna,
Thank you so much for your reply. I haven't been able to try this yet as I've had the flu but I have all the ingredients now and making this afternoon. I'll let you know how I go. Thank you again :)
Jay :)
Alanna says
Oh no! Hope you're all better. Keep me posted!
Erynn says
Hello! I still make this every last day of the year but now I send it off in big batches with my kids as they head back to school from break. Love this recipe. It’s provided us a lot of happiness :)
Alanna says
Aw, thanks so much for the sweet note - I'm glad you're loving the granola! Happy new year. :)
Andrea Eisenberg says
My go to granola is your pumpkin granola but alas, I had no pumpkin and was out of granola, so I gave this recipe a shot. I actually had a vanilla bean at home and after smelling the brown butter with a vanilla bean, I knew this was going to be good. I was more liberal with the cinnamon and nutmeg - as my daughter says, measure with your heart not a spoon :). I think this is my new favorite!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Awww your daughter is very wise. I'm going to borrow her baking philosophy - ha! And I'm SO glad you loved this granola as much as the pumpkin version. Yay!