My Favorite Homemade Granola Recipe
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Never buy store bought granola again! This Homemade Granola Recipe is full of simple, wholesome ingredients—no mystery oils or excess sugar here. You get to control everything, from the sweetness level to the mix-ins, so it fits your family’s preferences and needs. And this recipe makes a generous sized batch, so it’s a practical option that might save you a few bucks along the way!
When I finished cooking school, my first job was at a bakery (the same bakery where I met my husband!). They were primarily known for their bread, but they also had this incredible homemade granola that everyone loved.
The granola was delicious, but it was also loaded with soy oil and sugars, which was not as wholesome as I’d like first thing in the morning. I wanted to create my own healthier version at home, and I finally have!
I cut way back on the sugar you usually find in store-bought granola and used just honey for a light, natural sweetness that isn’t overpowering. Instead of vegetable or seed oils, I used coconut oil—just enough to help create those crispy clusters without making the granola greasy. Then I packed it with good stuff like flax meal, raw almonds, pecans, and rolled oats.
This homemade, healthy granola recipe is wholesome, nutritious, and perfect for snacking or sprinkling over yogurt—and once you make it, you’ll want to keep a batch on hand at all times.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Granola Recipe
- Healthy – Packed with wholesome ingredients, it’s nourishing and good for you!
- No refined sugar – The whole batch is sweetened with just honey. And you get to control the ingredients and make adjustments to use up what you have on hand and to accommodate your family’s dietary needs!
- Versatile – Homemade granola is great on top of yogurt bowls or smoothie bowls for breakfast or for a quick pick-me-up snack.
If you love granola, you have to try my peanut butter granola bar recipe! It’s equally as wholesome and perfect for midday snacking!
Homemade Granola Recipe Ingredients
This recipe uses healthy and wholesome ingredients you know and love.
- Old Fashioned Oats – also called “rolled oats”. Don’t use quick oats or instant oats.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Flax meal – aka ground flax seed
- Sunflower seeds – raw, hulled (out of shell). You can use salted or unsalted.
- Raw almonds and Raw pecans– out of the shells. I use whole almonds and pecan halves.
- Honey – you can also use agave or pure maple syrup.
- Melted coconut oil – use “refined coconut oil” if you don’t want it to taste like coconut.
- Water – this actually makes the oats crisper when baked. I know, funny right? The water swells up the oats and starch, making them crisper and clumpier!
- Vanilla extract + Ground cinnamon– This combo makes for a great cozy granola, and it goes with everything!
- Raisins – or other sweetened dried fruit like Craisins (dried cranberries), dried cherries, dried blueberries, or apricots.
How to Make Granola at Home
See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions, including temps and times.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper).
Step 2
In a small bowl, mix together the honey, melted coconut oil, water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut, flax meal, sunflower seeds, almonds, and pecans.
Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until the granola mixture is coated in the honey and seasonings.
Step 3
Spread the granola mixture into an even layer on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for about 60-70 minutes, stirring often.
Tip: The granola is done when it’s browned around the edges and starting to crisp; the kitchen will also start to smell like toasted nuts and oats. The granola will finish crisping as it cools.
Remove the granola from the oven and add the raisins and any other add-ins. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or jar.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Homemade Granola
- Bake the granola low and slow. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt granola by rushing it.
- For the best crunch, stir the granola every 15 minutes and make sure it’s in a nice, even layer on the pan—no big piles.
- Granola starts out a little soft, but it crisps as it cools. Be sure it’s fully cool before storing so you get those perfect crunchy clusters.
- Do not bake the raisins with the rest of the ingredients: they just burn. Add raisins and other dried fruit or chocolate chips after baking.
Easy Granola Recipe Subs & Variations
One of the best things about homemade granola is how versatile it is! It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure of food!
- Swap the nuts for any variety you like. You can add cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, or use all of one nut if you prefer. Be sure to use raw nuts so they don’t burn while the granola bakes.
- Oats are naturally gluten-free, but if you are intolerant, be sure to get GF certified oats.
- Add any seeds you love to this recipe, like sesame, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), hemp seeds, and (unground) flax seeds.
- I’ve swapped the water in this recipe for ⅓ cup of pumpkin puree and swapped the cinnamon for Pumpkin Pie Spice for a delicious pumpkin spice granola.
- After baking, you can add all kinds of stir-ins like more unsweetened coconut flakes, dried cranberries or dried blueberries, dates, dark chocolate, yogurt covered raisins, and freeze-dried fruit. Don’t add fresh berries to stored granola, but they are a great addition when serving.
How to Serve Homemade Granola
This is a great granola for yogurt bowls, smoothie bowls, snacking throughout the day, or even as part of a dessert!
- Sprinkle some homemade granola on top of a fresh fruit salad or blueberry lemon chia pudding for a delicious breakfast.
- I like to munch on some with apple slices and peanut butter for a delicious and healthy afternoon snack.
- My husband is a big fan of adding granola to vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of maple syrup for a healthier (very New England) dessert. I don’t share that same enthusiasm, but go off, my dude!
- Sprinkle some granola on top of banana oatmeal muffins or blueberry oat muffins instead of a streusel for extra crunch!
How to Serve Homemade Granola
This is a great granola for yogurt bowls or smoothie bowls in the morning, fantastic for snacking throughout the day, or even as part of an amazing dessert!
- Sprinkle some on top of a Fresh Fruit Salad or Blueberry Lemon Chia Pudding for a delicious breakfast.
- I like to munch on some with apple slices and peanut butter for a delicious and healthy afternoon snack.
- My husband is a big fan of adding granola to Vanilla Ice Cream with a drizzle of maple syrup for a healthier dessert. I don’t share that same enthusiasm, but go off, my dude!
How to Store Homemade Granola
Store granola in an airtight container or mason jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
FAQs
This can be a tricky question, and the best answer I can give is that it depends, especially when it comes to store-bought granola. Some brands are packed with so many added sugars and fillers, turning what should be a nutritious breakfast into something resembling a dessert recipe.
This homemade version is designed to be simple and nourishing. It’s made with ingredients you know, and the only added sweetener is honey to eliminate refined sugars. The raisins are sweetened, but you can leave them out for a completely no-added-sugar option or switch to a naturally sweetened dried fruit!
Granola is a simple mix of oats, nuts, seeds, and other ingredients like dried fruit, chocolate pieces, or nut butter. It’s usually tossed with some type of sweetener and a little oil, then baked until golden brown and crunchy.
Granola is said to have been created in the 1870s, with the most popular recipe coming from John Harvey Kellogg. Yes, that Kellogg. Granola really gained popularity in the 1960s and is now commonly used as a topping for yogurt, fresh fruit, or just as an easy snacking mix.
Water! The water helps the oats swell and release their starch, which makes the mixture sticky—especially when combined with honey. One tip I picked up in a cooking class: press the granola into a single, even layer before baking, but leave some gaps in the middle for air to circulate (for crisping). When you stir it, move around the big chunks so they bake into cohesive clusters.
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How To Make Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup flax meal
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (out of shells), salted or unsalted
- 1 cup raw whole almonds (out of shells)
- 1 cup raw pecan halves (out of shells)
- 1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (refined if you don’t want it to taste like coconut)
- 1/3 cup water, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup raisins or any dried sweetened fruit
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper).
- In a small bowl, mix together the honey, melted coconut oil, water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut, flax meal, sunflower seeds, almonds, and pecans.
- Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir until the granola mixture is coated in the honey and seasonings.
- Spread the granola mixture into a single even layer on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 300°F for 60-70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The granola is done when it’s browned around the edges and starting to crisp, the kitchen will also start to smell like toasted nuts and oats.
- Remove the granola from the oven and sprinkle on the raisins. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.
Notes
- The granola will appear a little soft after baking, but will crisp up as it cools.
- Add any dried fruit to the granola after baking. Baking the fruit will burn it. If you’re adding chocolate chips, add to the granola after it’s cooled.
