Homemade granola is easy to make and chock full of flavor! Use this base along with your favorite ingredients, nuts, seeds, or dried fruits (or even chocolate chips).
Granola makes a great breakfast with milk or over yogurt. It’s a perfect snack-on-the-go too!
An Easy Snack or Breakfast
There’s nothing more comforting than finding a homemade granola bar tucked into a lunch kit!
Granola is filled with nuts (full of good fats), and flax meal is a great source of those omega 3’s everyone’s looking for.
It’s easy to mix this recipe up and add in all sorts of tasty and nutritious ingredients.
Ingredients
OATS This recipe calls for rolled or “old-fashioned” oats. These oats have the best texture for granola.
OIL We use vegetable oil but any light flavored oil will work just fine in this recipe. Use coconut oil or try grapeseed oil for another healthy alternative!
SWEETENER Maple syrup or honey can be used to sweeten this recipe.
Variations
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- Dried fruits like blueberries, cherries, dates, or raisins are good choices and taste great. Make a tropical version with dried coconut and dried and chopped mango or even papaya!
- Any kind of nut will work well in this granola. Walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, peanuts—you name it.
- Chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or dark chocolate flakes can be added once the granola is cool for chocolate granola!
Favorite Combos
- dried blueberries, almonds, add a pinch of ginger, sunflower seeds
- cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds
- dried apples, cinnamon, pecans, raisins, sunflower seeds
- macadamia nuts, dried pineapple or mango, large coconut flakes
- dried berries, almonds, orange zest
- peanut butter, coconut oil, & peanuts for a peanut butter granola
How to Make Homemade Granola
Homemade granola comes together in no time at all.
- Preheat oven and prepare pan.
- Mix all ingredients together (per recipe below) except dried fruit.
- Bake according to recipe instructions.
- Remove from oven and mix in dried fruit.
Adding the fruit once the mixture is removed from the oven keeps the fruit from becoming dried out and hard in the oven.
What to Do with Homemade Granola
Homemade granola can be used for so many things.
- Serve as cereal with milk in the morning.
- Make a parfait with fresh berries or other fruit on top!
- Add it over fruit and bake for a quick take on a fruit crisp.
- Pour granola into a container with peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, marshmallows or mixed nuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, or cereal for an instantly yummy trail mix!
Storage
Homemade granola will stay fresh at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Use an airtight container to keep condensation or moisture out!
Freezer: Granola keeps several months in the freezer. Place in zippered bags labeled with the date, or freeze bars in individual portions.
Make-Ahead Breakfasts
- Easy Overnight French Toast – so flavorful
- Classic Breakfast Sandwich – with a homemade sauce
- Make-Ahead Egg Muffins – a low carb breakfast
- Overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole – 5 star recipe
- Breakfast Burritos– freezer friendly
Did your family love this Homemade Granola? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Easy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup coconut
- 1 ¼ cup chopped nuts cashews, pecans, walnuts or almonds
- ⅓ cup seeds pumpkin or sunflower
- ¼ cup ground flax seed optional
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
- 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries or blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large pan with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients except raisins/cranberries in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Spread onto prepared pan and bake 30-40 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and stir in raisins. Cool completely on the pan.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Excellent. I have made this at least five times and will continue to make it. So easy and healthy.
I am so glad you are loving this granola recipe M Keddie!
Really enjoyed this recipe. Has the right level of sweetness for me. Used dried blueberries, pistachios and sunflower seeds with apple pie spice. Will make again with a different combo.
Hi my husband and I love this granola recipe! It’s great added to our yogurt. I make it at least twice a month. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Holly! Glad you are enjoying it!
I’ve been making homemade granola for many years. My recipe is quite similar to yours. I never thought of the pumpkin pie spice. That’s a great idea. I always love your recipes, Holly.
Pumpkin pie spice is such a fun way to change up the flavor! You could so try apple pie spice, it is so yummy too!
Hi there, when the recipe states coconut, do you just mean desiccated coconut?
Thanks,
Mel
Yes, this recipe uses dried coconut. Sweetened or unsweetened will work based on preference.
I loved making my own granola! I used more honey, a cup of dried cranberries and dried blueberries with dark chocolate and orange rind. I also used 1.5 cups walnut pieces! Delicious!
I’ve made my own version of this several times now, and my husband and I both absolutely love it!
One question though, does it need to be kept refrigerated? If not, how long before it needs to be eaten? I normally use avocado oil but may use coconut oil.
Hi Anita, this homemade granola recipe will stay fresh at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two weeks. We recommend using an airtight container to keep condensation or moisture out.
Made this for my son who has multiple food allergies! He loves it, and it’s healthy too.
So happy to hear that he loves this granola Maria!
Made this for my family and they loved it! My daughter has a peanut allergy and this recipe was a great alternative to buying something premade at the store that might have peanuts.
We have a nut allergy in our family too so it’s always great to be able to make alternatives at home!
This granola is better than store bought. Easy to make and so delicious. You won’t regret making this.
So glad you loved it Sharon!
Is it quick oats or old fashion oats?
It is old fashion oats!