Homemade Brown Butter Apple Pie Granola
After seeing how much everyone loved my Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola at the farm shop—and hearing from so many of you who made it again and again at home—it was only natural to create an Apple Pie Granola version. This homemade granola is packed with sweet chunks of fresh apple, plenty of warm cinnamon spice, and the rich, toasty flavor of brown butter. It’s everything we love about apple season baked into crunchy granola clusters and truly tastes like fall in every bite.
One of my favorite things about this homemade apple pie granola recipe is how easy it is to customize. While I love the buttery crunch of pecans, you can easily swap them for walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. For even more fall flavor, try stirring in dried apples, dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates after the granola has cooled. If you’re looking for a sweeter treat, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips make delicious additions. No matter how you customize it, this apple cinnamon granola is a cozy and versatile recipe that’s perfect for breakfast, snacking, or topping a bowl of yogurt.
Because this apple pie granola is made with fresh apples instead of dried apples, it has a little more moisture than traditional homemade granola. I recommend letting it cool completely, then storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to help keep it fresh. The apples will soften the granola slightly over time, so I love eating it within the first few days when the clusters are at their crunchiest. You can also freeze the granola for longer storage and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Homemade Brown Butter Apple Pie Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup halved pecans chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 2 apples peeled, cored and finely chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup roughly chopped pecans, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 apples that have been peeled, cored, and roughly chopped. Stir until evenly combined.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup butter. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter becomes golden brown and toasted and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste and ¼ cup real maple syrup.
- Pour the browned butter mixture over the oat and apple mixture. Stir well until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the granola evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, flipping or stirring the granola halfway through baking, until golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. It will continue to crisp up as it cools.
- Because this recipe uses fresh apples, store the granola in the refrigerator and enjoy within about 5–7 days. The granola will soften slightly as it sits, but you can crisp it back up by warming it in a 300°F oven for a few minutes before serving.
