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This easy to make Homemade Granola Recipe uses shelf-stable pantry items that I almost always have in the cupboard so I can make this at a moment’s notice. It’s perfect for breakfast or for a crunchy delicious snack in the afternoon.
Recipes like my Qunioa Bowl, Breakfast Barley, and Honey Lemon Yogurt are a delicious and healthy way to start the day. I love a good breakfast, and this is one of my Breakfast Recipes you’ll want in your recipe box!
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Perfect for homemade breakfast
This Homemade Granola recipe is easy to make, no fuss, and pretty light on the oil, and really low sugar, so not too fattening like some granola.
It’s perfect for a simple, crave-able, not-too-sweet, homemade breakfast treat.
I first posted this recipe back in 2013 when I had injured my leg and needed healthy recipes that were easy to make.
Switch up your granola game
Try this recipe straight up or tweak it slightly using different sweeteners, nuts, or fruit. With this simple easy granola, the possibilities are almost endless.
Basic granola requires just a handful of ingredients: oats, sweeteners, oil, and nuts or dried fruit. Once you master this basic granola, it’s easy to mix up a granola made just the way you like it, swapping ingredients as you like.
Use your favorite nuts, or whatever nuts you have in the kitchen. (By the way, I always store nuts in the freezer so they stay fresh longer.)
This granola is delicious with almonds (I’ve used sliced almonds for the granola in the pictures). I’ve made it with pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, slivered almonds, and cashews. It’s always great!
Go wild and use two or three kinds of nuts!
You can change the liquid sweetener if you want as well. Make it vegan by using maple syrup or golden syrup. Use liquid agave syrup or any of your favorite liquid sweeteners here.
Don’t like coconut (what???)? Yes, you can leave it out. Personally I love the coconut in here, it adds a nice chew, but if you just can’t do it, simply leave it out. I’d probably increase the nuts by ½ cup if you leave the coconut out.
For gluten-free granola, make sure the oats were processed in a gluten-free facility.
Check out the pin with lots of different “tried its” on Pinterest, and some of the different ways people have added their own twist to the granola recipe!
Granola is only 8 ingredients away
What every home cook needs, especially right now, is a simple, straightforward homemade granola that can be made with shelf-stable cupboard items.
This recipe is just that! It’s a great basic granola that will give you the basics of granola making: cooking oats with a little sweetener, seasoning, and a few additions, so you bake up a simple and delicious granola.
I also have a Slow Cooker Granola that’s fun to make.
Serve this granola for breakfast with milk or yogurt. Eat it by the handful. Turn it into trail mix. And for another fun cereal based snack, check out my Peanut Butter Chex Snack Mix.
Chunky or not chunky?
Do you like big chunks of granola to snack on or in your breakfast cereal bowl?
It’s fairly easy to get chunks in your granola.
Use a rimmed baking sheet to keep that wily granola on the sheet and in the oven rather than out on the floor when you stir it. Also, be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so the granola sticks to itself rather than the pan.
Now, press the granola into an even layer before you put it in the oven.
Next, press down on the finished granola with the back of a spatula before it cools and avoid moving it around too much in the pan.
Allow the granola to cool completely before breaking it up.
If you don’t want big clumps of granola, if the broken up stuff is your preference, simply stir the granola when it comes out of the oven, and stir it again after it’s cooled to break up the clumps.
Personally, I like my granola broken up a bit more. It fits easier on the spoon when you eat it like breakfast cereal. And, I rarely eat granola like trail mix.
Can I make this into trail mix?
Oh, speaking of trail mix, yes, you can totally make this into a great trail mix.
Simply toss in some M&M’s or even Reese’s pieces, and some more nuts. Seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are great in trail mix. Try adding some dried fruit as well. Small pretzels can be a fun addition to trail mix as well.
I like dried fruit in my granola
Add any dried fruit you like after baking the granola. Dried fruit will burn in the pan, so be sure to add it after baking.
Cranberries, dried cherries, raisins, and dried figs, are all delicious in this trail mix.
You could do a themed flavor – like colors for Christmas: red cranberries and green pumpkin seeds will be pretty.
Storage
For the longest shelf life, let the granola cool completely in the pan on the counter before transferring it to a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.
When stored in an airtight container, this granola will keep for up to a month.
Serving ideas
Eat it like cereal with milk or sprinkle it over yogurt or cottage cheese for a simple breakfast.
Top vanilla ice cream with granola for a delicious and crunchy dessert.
Make it into trail mix and take it on a hike with you.
Top the granola with some homemade dried fruit compote.
Or just eat it by the handful as a snack!
Kitchen items you may need for this recipe
Spatula
Rimmed baking sheet
Silpat
Parchment paper
Cooling rack
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing Bowl
Airtight storage container
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If you try this recipe,
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via the pin.
Homemade Granola Recipe
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts*
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon (Heaping) Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons mild tasting oil like grapeseed, vegetable, or canola, or unrefined coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Mix first 6 ingredients (oats through salt) in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss to coat evenly. Spread oat mixture on the prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes.
- Place sheet on a cooling rack. Stir granola breaking up any large chunks; cool.
Notes
Gluten-free: For gluten-free granola, make sure the oats were processed in a gluten-free facility.
Storage: Granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Adrienne Grace
I’ve made homemade granola for years and everyone in my family loves it. Now my stepmom and my sister make their own, as well. Warning: it’ll ruin you for that boxed stuff in the stores, though.
Sandra Shaffer
Super happy to find your granola recipe! My husband has a favorite brand, but now that we are keeping shopping to a minimum I gave this a try. I added lots of nuts and he likes this version better than what he was buying. Two thumbs up!
Jennifer Stewart
I love making granola and snack mixes and this is a great recipe for getting started!
Nan Yarbrough
I’ve recently made your recipe for granola (adding dried cranberries in lieu of coconut) and enjoyed it. But alas my husband doesn’t do fruit or cinnamon. I came up with Chinese 5 spice and pistachios in their stead and whoa baby is it good! The house smelled incredible. Thanks!
Christine McElhone
I made this recipe this week. Easy to make, easy to clean up, delicious. Shared with some neighbors and my parents. My neighbors want more! My mom loved it in her daily yogurt. I will make it again. I added sliced almonds and pecans but omitted the coconut as one of my daughters is allergic.
Michaela Kenkel
So happy I found this on Facebook! Suggesting that homemade granola would make a great gift got my wheels turning! I made a double batch this week and did just that! Very well received! Thank you!!
Riya Agrawal
Just awesome, I love how you manage to make granola in such a simple way and it turned out the best! Do try it once.
Emma
so delicious and easy to make
Sonia Ceravolo
I made this recipe it’s delicious, I can’t stop eating it. You can add to so many things
bldblueys
Came out great!
Julie cutrer
I put the amount of liquid the recipe called for and it didn’t coat everything. So I had to end up putting a lot more oil and it STILL would not stay together. Are you sure it was 1/3 cup honey and 2 tbsp. Oil?
Debi
Julie, yes, the recipe is correct as written. I’ve made it many times. Once the liquid ingredients are meted together in the pan, they are poured over the granola and tossed together. It’s a light coating. And, as for the point of it “would not stay together” – this is cereal type granola, not like a granola bar. Perhaps you were looking for a granola bar recipe. Part of the beauty of this recipe is that it calls for so little oil and so little sugar compared to other granola cereal recipes. If you’re talking about those big chunks in the cereal, those come from baking the granola and the honey helps the pieces stick together. Check out the section in the post titled “Chunky or not chunky?” Maybe you should give the recipe a try and trust the recipe.
Sher
I used sugar substitute and roasted peas and fava beans and ground those up with apricot seeds instead of nuts and I use dry peanut butter powder with maple syrup sugar free fat free to save on calories and fat because I can’t have much sugar and little fat in my food.. put dried blueberries cherries and raisins in and just a quarter cup of sugar-free mini chocolate chips and a quarter cup of cocoa powder taste amazing love the recipe so easy to change it up
Lori
This recipe is a keeper. I have made several other recipes that have been great. This one exceeds those. Not too sweet and perfect amount of EVOO!
Sarah
so good! Omitted coconut, but added sliced almonds and used chopped pecans. I’ll be making this often!
Lori
I added a bit of fresh nutmeg. Loved it
Jessica
This was the PERFECT granola. For some reason I had to cut the time down to 30 minutes and that was perfect, but that may be my gas stove!
Audrey
Came out delicious, can’t wait to eat for breakfast.
Samantha
I make it every week! SO GOOD!
Heidi
Our favorite granola…so yummy in homemade yogurt