Is it possible to make Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal even better? Yes! Turn it into granola! This Cinnamon Toast Crunch Granola is packed with sweet cinnamon flavor and lots of healthy oats and nuts.
Yes, I know you can just pour Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a bowl with some milk and eat it. And yes, I also know you can go to the store and purchase a nice big bag of granola.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't make your own homemade granola with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Because trust me, this is way better than eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch plain and also far exceeds any granola you could buy in the store.
Does it make Cinnamon Toast Crunch healthier? Well, let's just say it adds some additional health benefits to it, thanks you old-fashioned oats, wheat germ, and walnuts. Of course, I also added in a splash of maple syrup.
Granola Ingredients
The wonderful thing about granola is that you can really add in whatever you want, so feel free to make any substitutions. Just try to keep the total amount of dry ingredients relatively the same as listed or you'll want to increase or decrease wet ingredients depending.
For this Cinnamon Toast Crunch granola, I used:
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Old-fashioned oats
- Wheat germ
- Walnuts
- Maple syrup
- Canola oil
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Egg White (you can leave this out if you want to keep the granola vegan, but it does help make the granola "clumpier."
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Granola Recipe
Like most granola recipes, this one is super easy to make. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
And simply combine all the dry ingredients (cereal, oats, wheat germ, and walnuts) in a big bowl.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Put the egg white into a separate small bowl and whisk it for about 30 seconds until it gets nice and frothy. Then stir it into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
Now, pour the wet mixture and toss to coat well.
Spread mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
And bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time, until the granola is getting golden and is crispy.
Let the granola cool in the pan completely before you break it up. Then you can store it in airtight containers... Or just dig in!
So basically, I just took cereal and made it into a different kind of cereal. But, like a way better cereal. One that's heartier and much more satisfying than plain old Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
I'm perfectly happy eating this right out of the jar as a snack, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch granola is also pretty fabulous as a granola topping (I recommend vanilla yogurt) or in a bowl with a little bit of milk.
Or ice cream. Don't discount granola as an ice cream topping.
Like I mentioned, this granola is pretty versatile in that you can swap out or add in any ingredients you choose. Whether you prefer almonds to walnuts or don't want nuts involved at all, it's totally up to you!
Just make sure you include the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. That's pretty vital to Cinnamon Toast Crunch granola.
CTC obviously has lots of cinnamon flavor in general, but with the addition of ground cinnamon and maple syrup, this granola is warm and cozy and perfect for the impending chilly weather.
And it goes perfectly well with your morning coffee.
What's your dream flavor of granola?
If you're looking for more delicious granola recipes, check out my Cherry Vanilla Granola and my Fruity Granola. I also can't wait to try this Rosemary Peach Granola from Cashews and Quinoa!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg white (see note)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, wheat germ, and walnuts.
- In a separate bowl, stir together maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt
- Place egg white in a small bowl and whisk it for about 30 seconds, until frothy. Stir into maple syrup mixture and then pour into bowl with oats. Stir to coat completely dry ingredients.
- Evenly spread oat mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through cooking time, until granola is golden and crispy.
- Remove from oven and let rest until completely cooled (don't stir it!). Once cooled, you can break up with hands and store in airtight containers.
Notes
- The egg white in this recipe helps bind the granola together and create "clumps." If you want to keep this granola vegan/vegetarian, you can omit the egg white, but your granola may be a bit looser and won't clump up as well.
Jami says
Holy cow. Amazing recipe. I followed it to the T, and it came out perfect and delicious. It was crunchy and sweet, but not overly sweet. I ended up making this CTC granola twice in one day because my kids and hubby devoured the first batch. This will definitely be a household staple. Thanks for the great recipe!