Granola Recipe
Granola adds the perfect crunchy sweetness to fruit and yogurt. If you’ve ever wondered how to make granola at home, look no further. This easy breakfast recipe is easy to make, and you’ll love how many ways you can switch it up to get different flavors. It’s infinitely customizable.
After you make granola at home, you’ll never buy it at the grocery store again. It’s not only way cheaper to make at home, but it’s also healthier because there are no preservatives.
I love granola with almond milk for breakfast in the morning, or a handful sprinkled on Greek yogurt to add a little sweet crunchiness. It’s a great snack in the afternoon, or anytime you need a quick pick-me-up.
What Is In Granola?
Homemade granola is made with a mixture of dry ingredients like oats, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds, combined with natural sweeteners. A small amount of oil is added to help toast the ingredients, slow and low, in the oven. You can also add spices like cinnamon and vanilla.
What You’ll Need…
- Heavy rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Granola Ingredients
Whole Oats
I recommend using rolled oats when making a batch of granola. Old-fashioned oats give you the best super crunchy texture. Quick oats will give you a more clumpy granola.
Dry Ingredients
Nuts and seeds add texture and flavor and are especially delicious when they are toasted. You can use any combination that suits your taste. I like to hold off adding coconut flakes until midway through cooking.
- Slivered almonds
- Macadamia nuts
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Coconut flakes – add halfway through cooking!
- Wheat germ
Sweeteners
The sweetener adds texture by melting and then caramelizing as it bakes. Different sweeteners will give you slightly different textures. Sugar and brown sugar are very crispy when baked. Syrups, nectar, and honey contain more water and may take slightly longer to bake also giving you a chewier texture.
- Agave nectar
- Brown sugar
- Brown rice syrup
- Real maple syrup
- Honey
The Best Oil For Granola
You want to use an oil with a neutral flavor.
- Coconut oil bakes into this recipe beautifully but can add a slight coconut flavor.
- MCT oil, which is refined coconut oil, has less coconut flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil has the least flavor in the family of olive oils but also can add a slight olive oil flavor. Not necessarily a bad thing.
- Canola oil is a neutral oil that will add no flavor.
- Vegetable oil also has a neutral flavor but might not be as healthy as other choices.
- Melted butter can also be used and will add a mild buttery flavor. This works well with the peanut butter granola.
Other Things That Add Flavor
Nut butter and fruit butter add a concentrated flavor to this recipe. For best results, mix the butter with the sweetener before combining it with the mixed dry ingredients.
- Peanut butter and honey make a great combo. Add dark chocolate chips fo an extra treat.
- Apple butter and cinnamon plus diced dried apples.
- Pumpkin butter and cinnamon plus pumpkin seeds are perfect for fall.
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
Dried Fruits
Add dried fruits after the granola is baked and cooled. You can add any combination of dried fruits that you like. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Papaya
- Banana
Recipe For Granola
The best granola recipe is made with a base of whole oats and your favorite nuts. The oat mixture is combined with your sweetener of choice and some oil. After it’s baked and crunchy, you can add other sweet ingredients like dark chocolate chips or dried fruit to the oat mixture.
How To Make Granola
- Preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; oats, nuts, and seeds.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl, including the oil and the sweetener. If you are using any fruit butter or peanut butter, you will also add that at this stage. Any spices can be added in this step as well. Egg whites also act as a binder, if you are scooping these into granola cookies, add the egg whites here.
- Mix together the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and use a large spatula to combine them, making sure they’re evenly combined.
- Spread the oat mixture in an even layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pack it down using a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Toss and then reduce the temperature to 275℉.
- Continue to bake at the lower temperature until the granola is a light golden brown and nice and crunchy.
- Cool. Once the finished granola has cooled to room temperature, use your hands to break it apart into smaller chunks.
- Add in any dried fruits or chocolate chips at this stage.
Expert Tips For Perfect Chunky Granola
- Pack the granola together tightly when baking. You want all of the ingredients to stick together as they bake. After the granola cools to room temperature, you will break it into chunky bits.
- Bake on low heat. Toast the oats and nuts slowly and low in the oven. Cooking the granola at too high of a temperature will make the sugar brittle. You want the sugar to melt and bind the oats and nuts together but not get hot enough to crack.
- Stir halfway through baking and press it together with a spatula. Midway through baking, the sugar is melty, and it’s the perfect time to make sure that all those chunky pieces are sticking together for the perfect chunky granola.
Granola Variations
I’ve made homemade granola for a couple of years and have several different varieties that we love. Using this simple method, you can make endless varieties of flavor combinations.
Peanut Butter
- ½ cup of peanut butter
- Honey
Tropical
- Macadamia nuts
- Coconut flakes
- Dried tropical fruits
Apple Cinnamon
- Dried apples
- Apple butter
- Cinnamon
Pumpkin Spice
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin butter
- Cinnamon
Granola Cookies
- Egg white- whipped egg whites help to bind the granola together.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookie-sized portions of granola.
How To Eat Granola
- Ice cream
- Almond milk
- Yogurt parfait made with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit
How To Store Granola
Store in an airtight container. Granola will stay fresh for about one month if stored in a cool, dry place and tightly sealed.
More Breakfast Recipe To Try
When you want something for breakfast we have so many recipes to choose from.
I’m no stranger to bringing my brunch game. We have everything from Sweet Creme Brulee French Toast Casserole to the perfect Egg Frittata.
Light as air French Crepes or stick to your ribs Buttermilk Pancakes.
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Granola Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheets (affiliate link)
- parchment paper (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups pecans, pieces
- 2 cups almonds, sliced
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds
- 1 cups coconut, shredded or flaked – unsweetened
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 4 egg whites
- 1 ⅓ cups coconut sugar (affiliate link), or real maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional Ingredients
- 1 cup dried fruit, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, pears, apples, apricots, pineapple, papaya
- 1 to 2 tablespons citrus zest
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 ℉.
- Mix together dry ingredients and coconut oil in a large bowl: pecans, almonds, coconut, pepitas, oats, salt (and coconut oil). Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes. Then let cool.
- Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Gradually add the coconut sugar while continuing to whisk.
- Add the two (wet and dry) mixtures together. (It doesn’t matter which you add to the other.) Stir until well incorporated.
- Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Space them evenly. You can place your ‘cookies’ pretty close to one another. They will not spread much.
- Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. [They will get crispier as they cool.]
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