Homemade granola makes an excellent nutritious breakfast or snack. Store-bought granola is often filled with added sugar and can be quite expensive. Making it yourself allows you to limit the sugar content and save some money. I’ll show you the steps for how to make granola and share four recipes to get you started.
Formula for How to Make Granola
Granola is simple to make. You basically combine rolled oats, nuts or seeds, a sweetener, and some add-ins like dried fruit or coconut to give it some added flavor. Then you toast everything in the oven, let it cool, and have a delicious breakfast or snack that will keep for several weeks. Below is a basic formula that will make about 3.5 cups of granola.
Step 1: Start with old-fashioned rolled oats
In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats. Make sure to use old-fashioned oats and not quick-cooking or steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats will not cook enough and end up being too crunchy. Old-fashioned oats have a heartier texture than quick-cooking oats so they make better granola.
You may also want to add ½-1 teaspoon of ground spices to the oats for added flavor. Cinnamon, cardamom or ground ginger would work well.
Step 2: Choose nuts or seeds
Add ⅔ cup of nuts or seeds to the oats. Here are some options:
- Walnuts (whole or chopped)
- Almonds (whole or slivered)
- Pistachios (whole or chopped)
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Sunflower seeds
- Another option is using nut or seed butter instead of whole nuts or seeds.
Step 3: Add sweetener and a little fat
In a separate small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of liquid sweetener, ¼ cup of fat, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Sweetener options: maple syrup or honey
Fat options: melted coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, melted nut butter
Pour the sweetener and oil mixture over the oats and nuts and stir to combine everything well.
Step 4: Bake it
Spread mixture evenly on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet to prevent sticking to the pan.
Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350℉.
After it’s done baking, let it sit for at least 25 minutes untouched. Once the granola has cooled and hardened, use a spatula to break it up into clusters.
Step 5: Add dried fruit (optional)
If you’re trying to minimize the sugar content, skip adding dried fruit. Otherwise, mix in ½ cup of any type of dried fruit that you like. Chop up larger pieces of dried fruit before adding it.
- Raisins
- Dried berries: cranberries, cherries, or blueberries
- Dried tropical fruit: mango pineapple
- Dried apricots
- Dried figs
- Dates
How to Store Homemade Granola
Homemade granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two weeks.
More Healthy Snack or Breakfast Recipes to Try
Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal
Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Homemade Granola Recipes
To get you started, here are 4 simple homemade granola recipes.
Homemade Fruit and Nut Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsalted slivered almonds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, cinnamon, and salt. Add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract and stir until everything is coated.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and evenly spread it out into a thin layer with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let it cool untouched for 30 minutes to let it harden. Add the raisins and use a spatula to break it up into pieces.
Peanut Butter Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan, warm up the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract over low-medium heat until the peanut butter melts (1-2 minutes).
- In a large bowl, add the oats, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Add the peanut butter mixture and stir to coat all the oats.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and evenly spread it out into a thin layer with a spatula. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Let it cool untouched for 30 minutes so it can harden. Then use a spatula to break it up into pieces.
Mixed Berry Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup dried blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Add the honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract and stir until all the oats are coated.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and evenly spread it out into a thin layer with a spatula. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Let it cool untouched for 30 minutes to let it harden. Use a spatula to break it up into pieces and add the dried cranberries and dried blueberries.
Tropical Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped (or dried mango or any other dried tropical fruit)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (or coconut flakes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk the mashed banana, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add the oats, almonds, and salt and mix until all the oats are coated.
- Pour the oats onto the baking sheet and evenly spread them out into a thin layer with a spatula. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Let it cool untouched for 30 minutes so it can harden. Then use a spatula to break it up into pieces and toss in the coconut flakes and dried pineapple.
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