Granola Recipe
This easy Granola Recipe makes the best homemade granola! It’s healthy, customizable, and tastes so much better than store-bought.
If you love homemade granola try one of these easy granola recipes next: Peanut Butter Granola, Pumpkin Granola and Cranberry Coconut Granola.
Homemade Granola Recipe
This homemade granola is one of my favorite make ahead breakfasts. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet and loaded with nuts and seeds for satiating protein and fiber. The best part about this recipe is that it’s so easily customizable! You can swap in your favorite nuts or seeds or add dried fruit, coconut flakes or even chocolate chips. I’ve listed lots of granola ideas below.
I love to serve this healthy granola over plain Greek yogurt for breakfast or a snack. You can layer yogurt, granola and fresh fruit to make a yogurt parfait. It’s also delicious served with fresh berries or sliced banana and milk.
Granola Recipe Ingredients
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: You’ll need rolled oats, not quick oats or steel cut oats, for this recipe. If you need the granola to be gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten free oats.
- Ground Flaxseed: Adding ground flaxseed to granola is an easy way to boost the fiber, protein and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Almonds, Pecans and Pepitas: This is my favorite combination of nuts and seeds for granola, but you can swap in others that you enjoy. I used sliced almonds; slivered or chopped whole almonds will also work.
- Coconut Oil or Olive Oil: The oil helps the granola to crisp up as it bakes. I’ve tested this recipe both with melted coconut oil and olive oil and it’s delicious both ways. When using coconut oil, I prefer to use unrefined (virgin) coconut oil because it is less processed. It has a slight coconut flavor that is delicious in granola.
- Pure Maple Syrup: For sweetness. Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. You can substitute honey if desired. If you use honey, watch the granola more closely as it bakes because I find that honey makes the granola brown faster.
- Cinnamon: For a touch of warm spice.
- Vanilla: Adds a little extra sweetness.
- Salt: A dash of salt enhances all of the flavors.
How to Make Granola
Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flaxseed, sliced almonds, pecans and pepitas.
Whisk wet ingredients: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
Mix together: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until combined.
Spread the granola out in an even layer on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the granola at 300° F for 15 minutes. Then stir it gently and press it down into an even layer. Bake for 10-20 more minutes, until the granola is lightly golden brown.
Let the granola cool on the baking sheet. It will dry and crisp up as it cools.
Granola Recipe Variations
There are so many delicious ways to adapt this recipe!
- Seeds: Swap the pumpkin seeds (pepitas) with sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
- Chia Seeds: Add up to 1/4 cup of chia seeds to the dry ingredients. Or try this Orange Chia Seed Granola recipe.
- Coconut: Coconut flakes are a delicious addition to homemade granola. Stir them in before baking and they will get lightly toasted in the oven.
- Nut Butter: Whisk 1/4 cup of almond butter or peanut butter into the wet ingredients. This will add flavor and will also help the granola to clump together into clusters.
- Chocolate Chips: Stir chocolate chips into the cooled granola after baking. (If you stir them into the granola while it is still warm, the chocolate may melt.)
- Dried Fruit: Stir dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots or raisins, into the granola after baking.
Storage Instructions
Store granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. For maximum freshness, store it in the refrigerator.
Looking for a granola bar recipe? Try these Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Bars or Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars.
Like this recipe? Pin it to Pinterest!
Homemade Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup pepitas
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil, or olive oil
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flaxseed, sliced almonds, pecans and pepitas.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the melted coconut oil (or olive oil), maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until well combined.
- Spread the granola in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Press the granola down into an even layer and bake for 10-20 more minutes, until lightly golden. Watch the granola carefully as it nears the end of the bake time since it can go from perfect to burnt quickly.
- Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet and then transfer to an airtight container for storage. Granola will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. For maximum freshness, store in the refrigerator.
Best granola recipe! Not too sweet and kids loved it as well. I love the ratio of nuts to oats and I thought maple syrup gave it a wonderful flavor.