Homemade Granola

There's a lot to love about this homemade granola recipe. It's easy to make, it's healthy, it's delicious, and it will make your kitchen smell amazing!

Best granola

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hours in the granola aisle at the grocery store, trying to find just the right kind. You know the one – it has lots of fun mix-ins like nuts and dried fruit, it’s sweet, but not too sweet, it’s spiced with cinnamon, and it’s filled with big clusters of oats and nuts. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve come to realize that it’s nearly impossible to find the perfect granola at the store.

Enter: my homemade granola recipe! Instead of using white or brown sugar, I sweeten it naturally with a modest amount of maple syrup, so it’s just the right amount of sweet. I spice it generously with cinnamon, and I add a scoop of almond butter to form lots of nutty clusters. It’s also customizable, a yummy template for whatever dried fruits and nuts I (or you) might be craving.

But best of all, it’s easy to make! Just stir together the dry ingredients, drizzle in the wet ingredients, and mix it all together. Bake for 30 minutes, and it’s ready to go. Healthy, simple, and totally delicious, this recipe is guaranteed to make you a homemade granola convert!

Oats, nuts, coconut, and cinnamon in a bowl

Granola Recipe Ingredients (+Variations!)

My healthy granola recipe starts with four basic ingredients: whole rolled oats, maple syrup, cinnamon, and coconut oil. Then, I add these mix-ins for extra flavor and texture:

  • Almond butter – The key ingredient for creating delicious nutty clusters! Plus, it packs this granola recipe with protein.
  • Chopped walnuts – They add crunch, protein, and healthy fats! Walnuts are my go-to here, but I often swap them for another nut or seed or use a mix. Chopped or slivered almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews, and sunflower seeds are some of my favorites.
  • Unsweetened coconut flakes – If you’re not a coconut person, feel free to leave these out, but I love their toasty, buttery flavor and crispy texture in this recipe.
  • Dried cranberries – For a pop of sweetness and yummy chewy texture! I’m a cranberry fan, but goji berries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried currants, tart cherries, and blueberries would all be great. And if you prefer your granola without dried fruit, go ahead and skip it!

Let me know what variations you try!

How to make granola

Homemade Granola Tips

  • More nutty clusters = better granola. Big clusters of oats and nuts are hands down the best part of granola. To encourage these clumps to form, press the oats mixture into a 1-inch thick oval for the first 15 minutes of baking. Then, remove the pan from the oven and use a fork to gently break the oval apart. Bake for 15 minutes more, and you’ll end up with lots of delicious clusters!
  • Let it cool before diving in. Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It’s tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it’ll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!
  • Add the dried fruit at the end. You don’t want to run the risk of burning your dried fruit in the oven, so stir it into the granola after it cools. That way, you know any dried fruit you add will be soft and chewy, not crisp. (P.S. It doesn’t hurt to add a handful of chocolate chips at this stage, either!)

Homemade granola recipe

Store your granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Enjoy it on its own as a snack, add it to a yogurt parfait, or eat it like cereal with a splash of milk! I love granola with my homemade maple vanilla oat milk.

Homemade granola

More Favorite Breakfast Recipes

If you love this homemade granola recipe, find more healthy breakfast ideas here and more brunch ideas here. Then, try making one of these oat-y breakfasts next:

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Homemade Granola

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 262 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Love granola? Learn how to make your own! Feel free to customize this recipe with your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, coconut flakes, if using, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the coconut oil and maple syrup and add the almond butter. Stir until combined. Scoop the granola onto the baking sheet and press the mixture into a 1-inch-thick oval. This will encourage clumping.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the pan halfway, and use a fork to gently break the granola apart just a bit. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with dried cranberries, if desired. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

 

252 comments

4.93 from 262 votes (154 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Jillian
    10.20.2024

    Hi!
    If I double this recipe should I I adjust the time?

  2. Lynn
    10.01.2024

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious! I baked it at 275â—‹ like a couple of people had suggested. Also I started in 10 minute increments. After 40 minutes in the oven, I just turned the oven off and let it cool down in the oven. My family loved it! This is definitely a keeper recipe for us!

  3. Alison
    09.30.2024

    5 stars
    Hands down the best granola recipe ever ! Will make forever ! So easy – so efficient – so good !

  4. Kaylene MacDonald
    09.04.2024

    5 stars
    Very good!! I also added in some chia seeds, hemp hearts and ground flax! Thank you for this recipe! Will continue to use!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      09.06.2024

      So glad you loved it, Kaylene!

  5. Carol
    09.02.2024

    I don’t have coconut oil and don’t want to buy a whole jar just for this small amount – is there something else I can use instead?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      09.06.2024

      Hi Carol, you could use a neutral oil, like avocado or vegetable oil, or melted butter.

  6. Julia
    09.01.2024

    1 star
    Unfortunately my granola burned on first 11 minutes. I followed the instructions but had to throw everything out in the end. I did replace the almond butter with a peanut one, though. It’s a first time I added butter because it was mentioned in the recipe here.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.02.2024

      Hi Julia, I wonder if your oven is accurate or if it’s running hot, I’ve never had mine burn at 11 minutes.

    • Julia Mcleod
      10.10.2024

      Wonder if the peanut butter had sugar? I have a feeling she meant to use a no sugar added type of natural peanut butter vs a brand that adds sugar.

  7. Deborah Allen
    08.27.2024

    3 stars
    I love granola and was very hopeful about this recipe. However even though I followed directions, the granola did not break into clumps. Also it is slightly burned. If I make it again, I will add more syrup or honey, and lower the temperature to 275.

  8. Maria
    08.26.2024

    Sooo delicious. We are nut free so I subbed the nuts with sunflower and pumpkin seeds (same ratio) and i used sunbutter instead of Almond butter. My family loved it. Next time we will double the recipie.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.28.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  9. Judith Hoiseth
    08.23.2024

    This is an awesome recipe. I’ve made numerous variations. Instead of cranberries, I use raisins and dried dates. I bake the granola for the 30 minutes, then top with the dried fruit and bake for another 15 minutes. I don’t think 30 minutes is long enough cooking time. I also add sunflower, chia and flax seeds along with the nuts. Very happy with this recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.28.2024

      Hi Judith, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe!

  10. Lucia Shoemaker
    08.18.2024

    I don’t see the nutritional info for the granola. Can you provide it? Thanks.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.23.2024

      Hi Lucia, we don’t provide nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately, but you could use an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.