This Homemade Granola Recipe is crunchy, satisfying, delicious, and easy to make ahead for weeks full of good-for-you breakfasts. It makes a perfect topping for Greek yogurt, parfaits, and fruit, and it’s easy to make it your own once you master the basic recipe.
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Granola Video
We always have granola on hand for breakfast at our house, and it’s such a staple for us that I included it in my New York Times Best Selling Cookbook. I know you’ll love this granola recipe as well, since it is easy to make and starts your morning off with a healthy boost of energy using healthy fats without refined sugar. One bite and you’ll fall in love with the texture.
Homemade Granola Recipe
This granola recipe is satisfying and filling, and has amazing crunch – one bite, and you’ll fall in love with the texture. While we love a once-in-a-while hardy breakfast of French Toast, Baked Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, and Breakfast Potatoes, sometimes I need the speed and convenience of homemade granola in the cupboard. I make a batch at the beginning of the week for a go-to meal that is ready each morning.
Once you’ve made the basic granola recipe, I’ve included suggestions for substitutions and for adding your favorite flavors to make this granola your family’s favorite breakfast option.
Granola Ingredients
You only need a few pantry staples to make my homemade granola recipe. It tastes so much better than anything store-bought, and we don’t use refined sugars, additives, or cheap fillers, so you can feel good about what you’re eating.
- Oats – you can use classic rolled oats, old-fashioned oats, thick-cut rolled oats, or instant rolled oats. I tested this with sprouted oats as well, but it resulted in a softer and chewier granola. For gluten-free granola, be sure to buy certified GF oats.
- Almonds – shaved or slivered almonds create the best crunch
- Unsweetened coconut flakes – add a natural sweetness and crunch.
- Coconut Oil – This is my favorite type of oil to use for homemade granola since it adds good flavor and can stand up to baking. See substitutions below.
- Honey and maple syrup – natural sweeteners give the granola the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Salt – Salt intensifies flavors and melds the sweet and the savory to make a complete flavor profile.
Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic granola recipe, try some of these variations to make the mixture your own:
- Sweets – add chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, colorful sprinkles, or white chocolate chips after the granola has cooked and cooled, so you don’t melt the chocolate.
- Nuts – swap the almonds with chopped pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, peanuts, or cashews
- Seeds – Add seeds, like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- Oil – replace the coconut oil with neutral-flavored extra-light olive oil or avocado oil
- Spice – the options are endless here! try pumpkin pie spice for the fall, or replace the cinnamon with cardamom or ginger.
- Dried fruit – add your favorite dried fruit after cooking, since the dried fruit will bubble, melt, and burn in the oven. Try raisins, dried figs, apricots, cherries, or cranberries.
How to Make Granola
This homemade granola recipe is our go-to since it has all the best flavors and just enough sweetness. It’s as simple as mixing and baking.
- Switch on the oven to 325°F and line an 18×13 sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix oats, almonds, and coconut flakes in a large bowl.
- Microwave oil and honey in a separate cup for 15 seconds or until the coconut oil has melted. Then stir in the maple syrup and the salt. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the warm coconut oil mixture over the large bowl of the oat mixture and mix until evenly coated, then spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet, and then bake for 18-20 minutes. Be sure to stir halfway through for even toasting, and remove when the granola looks golden and toasted.
- Cool the granola completely on the pan before touching it. Once cooled, use your hands to break it up into pieces as big or as little as you prefer.
The Gift of Homemade Granola
Homemade granola makes a great neighborly or teacher gift! Let the granola cool then package it in an airtight container, like a zip-top bag or mason jar, and a ribbon. Voila! A sweet, homemade gift!
How to Serve Homemade Granola
Granola is surprisingly versatile and can keep breakfast exciting. Here are a few ways my family enjoys granola for breakfast:
- Layered into a yogurt parfait
- With milk as a cereal
- Topping a Smoothie Bowl
- Added to peanut butter toast with a bit of honey
- Served over baked fruit, like in our Baked Pears or Baked Apples
- Over Ice cream
- Topping a bowl of Sauteed Cinnamon Apples
It’s so easy to enjoy homemade granola any day of the week with this simple granola recipe. You’ll love how fresh it tastes and how easy it is to make. Treat yourself to a breakfast you won’t mind waking up for.
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats or old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup shaved or slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Use parchment paper to line an 18×13 rimmed baking sheet, and preheat oven to 325°F.
- Add oats, almonds, and coconut flakes to a large bowl, mix, and set aside.
- Combine coconut oil and honey in a microwaveable dish or measuring cup. Microwave for 15-30 seconds to melt the oil. Then add the maple syrup and salt to the measuring cup, stirring to combine the ingredients. You can microwave for an additional 15 seconds to better combine the ingredients if desired.
- Drizzle the warm oil mixture over the dry oat mixture using a rubber spatula to combine. Once all is coated evenly, spread the granola mixture on the reserved baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until just golden.
- Cool the granola completely before carefully breaking it apart with your hands. Store granola in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks, or freeze for 3 months.
Notes
- Room Temperature – store in an airtight container or jar for up to 4 weeks
- To Freeze Granola – store in a freezer-safe zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can eat it right out of the freezer or wait a few minutes to thaw.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
This homemade granola recipe is the perfect way to start a busy morning without taking nearly any time. If you’re looking for easy or make-ahead breakfast recipes for busy weekday mornings, start here:
- Breakfast Burritos
- Perfect Omelette
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Zucchini Muffins
- Hashbrowns
- Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
- Breakfast Egg Muffins
Looks delicious. What do you recommend for a substition for the coconut ingredients? I’m allergic.
Hi Carol! See my variation recommendations above in the notes. There are so many different options to make this.
Hi Natasha, I left a comment earlier, this is a great tasting granola.
I was wondering if you had any tips for making it so it has more clusters?
Hi Delores! You can press it more firmly into an even layer on the pan. Clusters form when the granola has time to bake together so be sure to let us bake long enough before stirring and stir only once. You may even try not stirring at all. I hope that helps.
Delicious granola!! I have been looking for a granola recipe for so long!! I followed the recipe as written, can’t wait to try the other ingredients you suggested!!
Can I skip the honey and just double the maple syrup?
I think that will be fine! Please share with us how it goes if you give it a try!
If you wanted to add additional nuts to the recipe, would you need to adjust anything? I’d like to add a variety of nuts such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Hi Patricia! You can use a combination of nuts equaling up to the same amount. If you use more, you may want to adjust the oil mixture to help coat and flavor everything well.
This looks yummy…can I substitute liquid coconut oil rather than solid which you microwave to melt?!?
Hi Betty! That would be fine.
Oh would love to try this. Can I double up the honey and leave out the maple syrup? How can I make this diabetic friendly ?
Hi Stephen! That would work. Unfortunately I don’t have a diabetic friendly substitute to offer. Oats contain carbs as well.
Can you add dried cranberries or blueberries?
Hi Susan, If it is a moist dried fruit, it may soften the granola and reduce the shelf life – just something to keep in mind. It may be more worthwhile to add it when serving it instead.
I have made this granola several times! It is simple, healthy, and delicious!
That’s wonderful to hear, Sandra! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Looks sooo good! Have you ever subbed the almonds with pecans (can’t do almonds here)? If so, is there a need to adjust the cook time?
Hi Tracy! You can swap the almonds with chopped pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, peanuts, or cashews without needing to make any changes.
Delicious granola – our family favorite too. I share it with friends at Christmastime by putting it in mason jars decorated with ribbon. Thanks for your wonderful and healthy recipes. I asked Santa for your cookbook! 🙂
You’re very welcome, Sandy! I’m so happy you loved it. I absolutely love the idea of gifting it in mason jars with ribbon, how creative! P.s. I hope Santa delivers!
I have made this recipe a dozen times and it is one of my favorites. It smells soooo good when it’s baking and is a breakfast staple in my household.
Your granola is delicious!! We use it all the time. Would you ever consider coming up with a peanut butter granola recipe ?😄
Thank you for that suggestion, Rosa. I have not tried that myself to advise, I’ll have to add it to my list.