Air fryer granola is a delightful twist on the traditional oven-baked alternative. The air fryer's hot circulating air ensures that every chunk of oats and nuts is perfectly toasted. This recipe is packed with big clusters of goodness with an incredible texture and crunch.
Air fryer granola is healthy and versatile. It can be enjoyed as a quick breakfast, sprinkled over yogurt, in a smoothie bowl with fresh fruit, as a topping over ice cream, or as a simple, nourishing snack straight from the jar.
The star ingredient in this recipe is oats which are naturally gluten-free. Oats are rich in fiber, namely beta-glucan, which has been shown to increase the diversity of gut microbiota. Oats are a good source of phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium and zinc.
If you enjoy oats and all the health benefits of this superfood, then you will enjoy my Apple Blackberry Crumble which includes oats and antioxidant-rich blackberries.
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Steel-cut Oats vs Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats vs Instant Oats
Firstly, the similarity between these four variations of oats is that they all come from oat groats, the oat kernel with the tough outer shell removed. The differences between the four varieties lie in the way they are processed.
Steel-cut Oats
Steel-cut oats, also known as Irish oats, resemble the oat groat in its most natural state. The oat groats are not rolled or steamed but cut with sharp blades into small pieces. They have a chewy texture and nutty taste. Traditional steel-cut oats can take up to 30 minutes to cook.
Rolled Oats (old-fashioned oats)
Rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats, are oat groats that have been steamed, and rolled to flatten each oat kernel. Most of us think of this when we imagine a bowl of oatmeal or porridge. Rolled oats have a mild flavour and coarse texture and can generally be cooked on the stovetop in 5 minutes.
Quick Oats
Quick oats are oat groats steamed for longer than rolled oats and rolled thinner. The advantage to this is a quicker cooking time, roughly 2 minutes or so on the stovetop if making oatmeal. The flavour is mild, and I describe the texture as quite soft. Some say mushy.
Instant Oats
Instant oats were designed for microwave cooking and often come in small packets with added flavourings and sugar. Again, instant oats are derived from oats groats but steamed for longer and cut even thinner than quick oats. The cooking time in a microwave oven is generally 2 minutes or less.
Ingredients
These ingredients are ones I often have on hand in my pantry, and I consider them staples in a well-stocked kitchen.
- Quaker Oats is the brand I reached for when developing this recipe. I used quick oats (photographed above), but I have also made this recipe with old-fashioned rolled oats, and the results were equally impressive. Many times in recipes, quick oats and rolled oats are interchangeable.
- Use raw pecans and walnuts for this recipe. Don't use roasted nuts; they will likely become too golden brown and burn.
See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of light olive oil, you can use a neutral oil such as canola, peanut, safflower and even refined coconut oil, as it has no distinct taste.
- Use raw, coarsely chopped almonds or hazelnuts instead of pecans and walnuts.
- As a variation, add dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries or chopped apricots, to your batch of cooked granola once it has thoroughly cooled.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing healthy granola in the air fryer is a breeze. Combine all the ingredients and bake in your air fryer. This low and slow cooking method, will have you enjoying homemade granola at a fraction of the cost of store-bought in a short time.
Prepare the air fryer basket. Cover the bottom of the air fryer with aluminum foil and extend the foil up the wall of the air fryer by approximately 1-inch. Doing this will facilitate the removal of the granola once it has finished cooking. Next, oil the surface of the foil to prevent the granola from sticking.
Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, add the first 7 ingredients and mix well. Then, add the oats and mix well to combine, ensuring the mixture is fully hydrated and no dry spots remain.
Add granola to the air fryer. Add the granola to the air fryer basket spreading evenly, pressing down with your spatula. Put the basket into the air fryer and set the air fryer to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Select the bake function and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check the granola at the 30-minute mark to ensure it's not getting too golden or burned.
Let cool. When cooking has finished, open the air fryer drawer and let the granola cool inside the basket for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the granola by grabbing the edges of the foil and let it cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before breaking it into clusters and storing in an airtight container.
How to Oven-Bake Granola (when you don't have an air fryer)
Double the recipe, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and bake the granola on the middle rack of a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour.
Secrets for Success
- Use fresh nuts. Always taste the nuts beforehand to ensure they are fresh and not rancid.
- Raw nuts are your best bet for this recipe. Because they are not roasted they will withstand the baking time in the air fryer.
- Make sure the granola has cooled completely before storing it. Doing so will preserve its crispness.
How to Keep Granola Fresh
- I store granola in a well-sealed glass Mason jar at room temperature. I prefer glass over plastic containers because plastic can sometimes impart an unpleasant flavour onto food.
- You can freeze the granola in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This is what I used for this recipe and the result was crisp, crunchy, golden clusters of granola.
Yes! I've tested old-fashioned rolled oats too and they work just as well as quick oats. Often times, old-fashioned rolled oats and quick oats are used interchangeably in recipes. In fact, I use rolled oats or quick oats, it just depends on what I have in my pantry when I decide to restock our granola 😊
Both granola and muesli are generally composed of grains, nuts and dried fruit. The main difference is that granola is baked and typically contains a sweetener such as maple syrup, honey or brown sugar. Granola is crunchy in texture, whereas muesli is uncooked, unsweetened, with a porridge-like texture. Granola is ready to eat, while muesli is often soaked overnight in milk, for example, served cold or warm as you would eat oatmeal.
📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Granola
Equipment
- 6 quart air fryer, I love my Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart air fryer (with clear cook cooking window)
- large bowl
- spatula
- measuring cups & spoons
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil, or other neutral flavoured oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup raw, unsalted pecans, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup raw, unsalted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ cups quick oats, or old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon light olive oil, for oiling the air fryer basket
Instructions
- Prepare the air fryer basket. Cover the bottom of the air fryer with aluminum foil and extend the foil up the wall of the air fryer by approximately 1-inch. Doing this will facilitate the removal of the granola once it has finished cooking. Next, oil the surface of the foil to prevent the granola from sticking.1 teaspoon light olive oil
- Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, add the first 7 ingredients and mix well. Then, add the oats and mix well to combine, ensuring the mixture is fully hydrated and no dry spots remain.⅓ cup pure maple syrup, 2 tablespoons light olive oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ cup raw, unsalted pecans, ½ cup raw, unsalted walnuts, 1 ½ cups quick oats
- Add granola to the air fryer. Add the granola to the air fryer basket spreading evenly, pressing down with your spatula. Put the basket into the air fryer and set the air fryer to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Select the bake function and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check the granola at the 30-minute mark to ensure it's not getting too golden or burned.
- Let cool. When cooking has finished, open the air fryer drawer and let the granola cool inside the basket for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the granola by grabbing the edges of the foil and letting it cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before breaking it into clusters and storing in an airtight container.
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