This almond butter grainless granola is packed with toasted nuts, seeds, and crunchy coconut chips, then baked into golden, crave-worthy clusters. Naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, it’s a wholesome, grain-free copycat of your favorite store-bought blend—only better!

Vanilla Almond Butter Granola

Though I prefer to make granola, I have an incurable weakness for Purely Elizabeth and Trader Joe’s granola. I always come back to their grainless vanilla almond butter flavor, but after looking at the ingredient list, I realized I can easily recreate it at home. And sure enough, my version not only tastes better, but it costs less than half the price to make!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe uses a variety of nuts and seeds for flavor and crunch—if you don’t have some of the ingredients on hand, however, you can easily substitute them with another kind of nut! Here’s what you’ll need:

Pumpkin seeds. Also known as pepitas.
Unsweetened coconut chips. I prefer coconut chips for a more rustic and crunchy texture, but unsweetened shredded coconut will also work.
Raw cashews.
Sunflower seeds.
Almonds.
Chia seeds.
Cinnamon.
Salt.
Almond butter. A natural almond butter is best for this recipe; the only ingredients listed on the jar should be almonds and salt.
Coconut sugar. Can substitute with packed brown sugar.
Coconut oil. Either virgin or refined coconut oil will work in this recipe. If you prefer a neutral flavor, use refined coconut oil.
Brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup is thicker than maple syrup and has a toasty, butterscotch-y flavor that pairs perfectly with this granola and helps bind it into big clusters. If you can’t find it, however, just use honey.
Vanilla extract.
Egg white. This is the secret ingredient—the egg white will act as a binder to keep the granola together, giving you those big granola clusters.

The Secret to Chunky Granola Clusters

Store-bought brands never have enough granola clusters for my liking, but luckily, when you make it at home, you can break the granola into whatever size pieces you want! If you’ve ever wondered why some granola recipes stay crumbly while others form those irresistible clusters, here’s what makes the difference:

Whipped egg white. Most grainless granolas are very crumbly, but adding the egg white binds everything together and sets into a crisp texture.
Brown rice syrup. Since it’s thicker than maple syrup, this helps glue the mix together.
Pressing the granola. I always compact the granola into a slab before baking, which helps it bind together into big pieces.
Minimal stirring. We’ll toss the granola once after 15 minutes to help it toast evenly, but after that, I don’t touch it. This helps the granola set into a solid piece with chunky clusters.

Recipe Troubleshooting

My granola seems soft out of the oven—did I underbake it? Granola crisps as it sets and must cool completely before you break into pieces. If it’s still soft after cooling, however, return it to the oven for 5–10 more minutes.
How do I get extra-large clusters? For the best grain-free granola, press the mixture down very firmly and avoid stirring during the second bake.
Can I skip the egg white? Yes, but you’ll have a looser, more crumbly texture rather than big clusters.

Serving Suggestions

This granola is endlessly versatile—while you can serve it in a number of ways, here are some of my favorites!

In yogurt and smoothie bowls.
With cold almond milk as cereal.
On top of chia pudding.
Straight from the jar (my go-to method).

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 1–2 weeks.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before enjoying.

If you love this vanilla almond butter flavor as much as I do, my homemade version might just replace the store-bought bag in your pantry—be sure to tag me if you give it a try!