With its rich, nutty flavor and spreadable texture, granola butter elevates simple toast into something special. This oat-based butter is easy to make at home using whole-food ingredients and natural sweeteners. It requires just ten basic ingredients and can be adapted to be nut-free if needed.
What is Granola Butter?
Granola butter is an oat-forward spread similar in use to nut butter but made primarily from toasted oats, seeds, and other mix-ins. The ingredients are blended until they form a creamy, spreadable consistency. While store-bought versions exist, homemade granola butter is quick to prepare and lets you control sweetness and texture.
This recipe combines toasted rolled oats, pecans, roasted sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes as a base. Spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and a touch of vanilla add warmth, while dried fruit provides natural sweetness. It makes an excellent alternative to peanut or almond butter for variety or for those with sensitivities.
How to Use Granola Butter
Granola butter is versatile: spread it on toast, bagels, pancakes, or muffins; swirl it into yogurt, porridge, or smoothie bowls; stir a spoonful into brownie batter for a nutty twist; or use it as a dip for apple, pear, or celery slices. It’s also delicious drizzled over ice cream.
Why This Recipe Works
Toasting the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut enhances their natural sweetness and deepens their flavor. Blending them with a small amount of coconut oil and dried fruit yields a smooth, spreadable butter with satisfying texture. The recipe is naturally vegan and can be adapted to be nut-free.
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Made from whole, recognizable ingredients
- Gluten-free and vegan as written
- Easily made nut-free by omitting pecans
Granola Butter Ingredients
This recipe uses simple pantry staples. The amounts and full method appear in the printable recipe card below; here are the components:
- Old-fashioned rolled oats
- Raw pecans (omit for a nut-free version)
- Roasted sunflower seeds
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Coconut oil
- Dried fruit (dried blueberries, raisins, dates, or similar)
- Vanilla (extract or powdered)
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
How to Make Granola Butter
The method is straightforward: toast, process, and blend until smooth. Buying already-roasted nuts and seeds can shorten the prep time.
Spread rolled oats and pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Reduce oven heat to toast the coconut briefly until golden.
Combine the toasted oats, pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles damp sand. Add dried fruit, coconut oil, vanilla, spices, and salt, then continue processing. The mixture will pass from clumpy to chunky to smooth and spreadable as the oils release.
Tip: Nuts and seeds can burn quickly while toasting. Watch them closely and remove them from heat at the first sign of browning.
If your food processor feels warm, pause and let the motor rest before continuing. High-speed processors reach a smooth texture faster but still benefit from occasional scraping of the sides.
Continue processing until the mixture becomes thin and spreadable. It will be warm and slightly runny when finished and will thicken as it cools.
Recipe Tips for the Best Results
- Taste the spread once it’s smooth and adjust sweetness by adding more dried fruit if desired.
- Adding liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey can sometimes cause the oils to seize and the mixture to harden. If that happens, drizzle in a little olive oil and process until smooth.
- Store granola butter in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 weeks, or refrigerate for up to three months. It can also be frozen for up to six months in a freezer-safe container.
This homemade granola butter showcases whole ingredients for a rich, oat-forward spread that’s both flavorful and adaptable.
Helpful Tools
- Food processor (or a high-speed blender with frequent pauses)
- Baking sheet for toasting
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Try spreading granola butter on pancakes, stirring it into porridge, or using it as a mix-in for smoothies and baked goods. It pairs especially well with fruit-topped breakfast dishes and simple baked treats.
Granola Butter
Ingredients
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup raw pecans (omit for nut-free)
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried blueberries (or raisins)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the rolled oats and pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Let cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast 6–8 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
- Place toasted oats, pecans, coconut flakes, and sunflower seeds in a food processor. Process 3–4 minutes until mixture resembles fine, damp sand.
- Add dried fruit, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Process 10–15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. The mixture will go from clumpy to chunky to smooth and spreadable.
- If the processor overheats, pause and let it cool before continuing. You may stop earlier for a chunkier texture.
- Transfer the warm granola butter to a sealed container. It will thicken as it cools. Store at room temperature for 2–3 weeks or refrigerate up to 3 months.
Notes
- To make the recipe nut-free, omit pecans and add an extra tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Pecans toast faster than oats; watch them closely to avoid burning.
- Using pre-roasted ingredients lets you skip the toasting step.
- Any dried fruit works—dates, prunes, apricots, or cranberries are good options.
- Liquid sweeteners can cause the mixture to seize; add a little olive oil and process to loosen if needed.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 287 kcal • Carbohydrates: 37 g • Protein: 6 g • Fat: 15 g • Fiber: 4 g • Sugar: 20 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
This post was originally published on September 12, 2016.