Healthy Vanilla Almond Granola
 
I’m one of the biggest granola fans in the world, and this recipe is one of my favorites! Sweet crunchy clusters, rich vanilla flavor, and an extra crunch from the almonds too. Delicious! The granola will keep for at least 1 week (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container.
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (highly recommended!) or parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until the egg whites are broken up and slightly bubbly. Stir in the honey. Pour in the brown rice cereal and oats, and gently stir with a spatula until both cereals are evenly coated. Gently stir in the almonds.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes. Gently stir and move the clusters around the pan to break up the granola and prevent the bits closest to the edge from burning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then gently stir again. Bake for an additional 4-7 minutes (for a total of 34-37 minutes), or until the granola is golden and crunchy. Cool the granola completely to room temperature on the pan before transferring to an airtight container.
Notes: For a stronger vanilla flavor, increase the vanilla extract by an additional ½ or 1 teaspoon.

Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.

Regular crisp rice cereal (i.e. Rice Krispies) may be substituted in place of the brown rice cereal.

These are the sliced almonds I used! Only add the sliced almonds to your granola before baking if they’re “natural” or raw. If you’re using sliced almonds that have already been toasted, they may end up burning in the oven—so add them AFTER the granola has finished baking instead!

You do NOT end up with bits of egg in your granola! It’s just like when you put eggs in cookie dough. You don’t end up with chunks of scrambled cooked eggs in your cookies, right? Same thing here! You thoroughly mix together the ingredients so you’ll never see bits of cooked egg in your granola. I promise!

The brown rice cereal adds a big crunch to your granola clusters without any extra oil or butter. It’s such a great trick, and I use it in all of my granola recipes! (If you check the ingredients in your favorite store-bought granola cereals, I bet some of them use rice cereal as well!)

If your healthy vanilla almond granola turns a really deep dark brown while baking, that’s totally okay! From my granola baking experience, honey tends to caramelize and turn a much deeper shade of brown than other sweeteners. As long as it isn’t black and burnt, it should be just fine!

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/09/04/healthy-vanilla-almond-granola/