This Homemade Granola Recipe is crunchy, satisfying, delicious, and easy to make ahead for weeks full of good-for-you breakfasts. It makes a perfectly crisp and crunchy 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 Tutorial
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 without refined sugar.
Best Homemade Granola Recipe
This granola recipe is satisfying and filling, giving us the energy to get going in the morning. While we love a once-in-a-while hardy breakfast of French Toast, Baked Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, and Breakfast Potatoes–the works—we need an energy-boosting nutritious option for everyday breakfast.
This is one of our favorite healthy breakfast options, along with Green Smoothies, Poached Eggs, and fresh fruit, because it has less heaviness, lower fat, and no refined sugars, but it is still crave-worthy. Make a batch at the beginning of the week for a go-to meal that is ready each morning.
Once you make the basic granola recipe, I’ve included suggestions for substituting and adding your favorite flavors to make this granola your family’s favorite breakfast option. You’ll love it. Your spouse will love it. Your kids will love it. You have to try this recipe!
Ingredients for Homemade Granola
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 pepitas (like our Pumpkin Flax Granola) 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 Homemade 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” baking sheet 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 evenly 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.
Pro Tip:
Homemade granola makes a great neighborly or teacher gift! 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 Parfait (see our BONUS recipe below!)
- 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
How to Make a Yogurt Granola Parfait
A parfait is by far our favorite way to enjoy homemade granola. This is from Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. Here’s what you need to make one parfait:
- Greek yogurt
- 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds, optional
- 1 teaspoon honey (or added to taste)
- 1/4 cup granola
- 1/2 cup fresh berries
- Add Greek yogurt to a mason jar, fancy glass container, or simply a bowl. Sprinkle the chia seeds on top, followed by a drizzle of the honey, and then stir the mixture together. For a bit more sweetness, add another drizzle of honey.
- Top the mixture with granola and berries.
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.
Make-Ahead
Homemade granola keeps well at room temperature or in the freezer for longer storage.
- 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.
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
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Homemade Granola Recipe
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
How to Make a Granola Parfait:
- 3/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt, or yogurt of choice
- 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds, optional
- 1 tsp honey, or to taste
- 1/4 cup granola
- 1/2 cup fresh berries
- Spoon Greek yogurt into a 16-oz mason jar, glass container, or medium bowl, and then sprinkle the chia seeds and drizzle. Stir the mixture and drizzle more honey, if desired.
- Add homemade granola and fresh berries over the yogurt mixture. Enjoy!
Nutrition Per Serving
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Thank you so much for yet another awesome recipe 😄 My family loves it !
My son eats it as cereal, and it’s perfect with my parfaits !
You’re very welcome, Roseanne! So happy he enjoys the recipe.
This recipe is fantastic! With simple ingredients and a quick prep time, this is a great way for busy families to have a healthier and more filling option for breakfast. The granola comes out perfectly crisp and just the right amount of sweetness. I can’t wait to experiment with different add ins.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Brittany! This really is the best on the go option for families.
I forgot to click on “5” stars with my comment…
Simply wonderful!! This was my first attempt at making granola and I wouldn’t change a thing. Finally, I am able to say goodbye to store bought granola – no comparison. Thank you Natasha!
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Carol!
Tried it. Added 1/4 of quinoa because I didn’t have coconut flakes. I may have added an additional 1/4 cup of almonds hehehehe, and about 2tbsp of unsalted butter to the liquid ingredients because I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be too dry with with quinoa and extra almonds. It turned out exceptional!!!!!! Thank you, I love your recipes.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Vanessa!
This was very tasty but sadly the granola did stick together. I followed the recipe exactly so no idea what I didn’t do correctly. Anyone have a suggestion?
It did not or did it stick together?
If I knew sooner how easy it is to prepare and how much better it tasted, I would have started making homemade granola years ago! I did add 1/2 t cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla to it. Waiting until it cooled down was hard because it smelled so yummy, but that allowed it to be broken into chunks. My kids love it too, on its own or in a parfait with berries and vanilla greek yogurt. This will be in our regular rotation!
That’s wonderful, Angela! I’m so glad you found this recipe.
This Granola was delish. I was surprised. Had reservations🙃 when I read it. Perfect sweetness. Broke off in big chunks. Husband liked too ! Thank U Natasha.
This sounds great but I’m not a huge fan of maple syrup, do you think honey would work just as well? Thank you! You’re always my go to for recipes!
I have not tested that in this recipe but I’m sure you need to make some changes like with the liquid adjustments and baking temperature.
I really love the texture of the granola. I didn’t have coconut oil so I used avacado oil. It didn’t come out as crunchy as yours which was fine because I like it a little less crunchy. I used it in a parfait like you did and it was awesome. Thank you, I will be making this again.
Super easy and tasty. Didn’t have coconut oil so used avocado oil. Also made a half reciepe to start. Sprinkled with cinnamon before baking. I had to bake it longer(18 min then, 10min+10min. Now cooling first taste out of oven yummy. Thanks for sharing!
I love the idea of adding cinnamon. That sounds great!
Hi have you ever added dried apricots or other fruit after it comes out of oven ???
Hi Lori, I haven’t but you definitely could. Sounds great to serve over oatmeal. 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.
My granola did not clump. Delicous but no clumps
Hi Linda! Did you make any modifications? If you have too many dry ingredients, this can happen. Also, be sure to let it cool completely before breaking it apart so it will harden into clusters.
I cannot see your videos because it says I have to sign in. I don’t know how to sign in.
Hi Carla, it is a public video so you shouldn’t have to login to see it – actually all of our youTube videos are public videos and free to watch without an account. Can you explain more what you are seeing or where you are trying to watch them? You can also watch our videos directly on our YouTube channel.
It says to sign in to confirm I am not a bot to view your granola recipe. I have never had this happen before. P.S. Love your cookbook, I have made so many of your delicious recipes.
Hi Carla, that is interesting – I don’t know what would trigger that. Maybe it was a false alarm from our spam detection systems. Thank you for the feedback and I’m so happy you love my cookbook.
Delicious and easy and not full of sugar which is great. Just one question: what kind of container would you suggest? Thank you so much.
Hi Joan, I keep mine in a glass jar – just make sure to let it cool to room temperature before storing so you don’t trap steam which can soften the granola. For photography, I had it in a Weck Jar (that’s my Amazon affiliate shop link).
Simple to make as it is for most of the Natasha recipes. Added Pepitas and Craisins. Perfect. Try it as it comes out of the oven and still warm!! Yum!
I’m so happy you loved the homemade granola! thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi, what can I take instead of cocunut flakes?
Thank you
Hi! See the section above for variation ideas. It’s very versatile.
Is canola oil OK to use? Or vegetable oil?
Hi Peggy, an extra light olive oil would be a better option but as long as it’s a neutral tasting and neutral smelling oil, it should be ok.
This granola is amazing and so easy to make!
Once you make it you’ll never go back to store bought!
Not only is it good mixed in yogurt or over fruit, it’s good all by itself!
Thank you Natasha for always having the best recipes.
Hi Kathryn! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
What can I substitute the coconut with? Highly allergic.
Hi Kris! See the variation options above. This is very versatile.
I was trying this recipe and i love it