The Best Easy Homemade Granola
Say goodbye to expensive, sugary store-bought granola! This simple recipe creates the best crunchy, clustery homemade granola. It's healthy, easy, and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cook)
1 1/2 cups raw nuts and/or seeds (like sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (or a neutral oil like avocado oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup dried fruit (like raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped apricots) - to be added AFTER baking!
Instructions
Preheat & Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
Mix Everything: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry oat mixture. Stir very well until every single oat and nut is evenly coated.
Spread on Pan: Pour the granola mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread it into a thin, even layer. Gently press down on the granola to help form clusters.
Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring the granola halfway through, until it is a light golden brown.
Cool Completely (The Most Important Step!): Remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet without stirring it. This is the secret to getting big, crunchy clusters!
Add Fruit & Store: Once the granola is completely cool, break it up into clusters with your hands. Now, you can stir in your dried fruit. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Notes
Notes
- For the Best Clusters: Do not skip the cooling step! The granola becomes crunchy as it cools down. If you stir it while it's warm, you will break up all the potential clusters.
- Add Dried Fruit LAST: Always add your dried fruit after the granola has been baked and cooled. If you add it before, it will burn and become hard.
- Serving Ideas: This is amazing with milk, sprinkled over a bowl of yogurt, or just eaten by the handful as a healthy snack.
Kitchen Rescue Tips!
- The Problem: "My granola is chewy, not crunchy!"
- The Quick Fix: This means it was either slightly underbaked or you didn't let it cool completely. You can spread it back on the baking sheet and bake it for another 5-10 minutes at a lower temperature (300°F/150°C) to dry it out more. Then, let it cool completely.
- The Problem: "My granola burned!"
- The Rescue: This usually happens if your oven runs hot or the granola was on a rack too close to the top. Next time, try reducing the oven temperature slightly and check it 5 minutes earlier. Every oven is a little different!
- The Problem: "I don't have any big clusters!"
- The Rescue: This is the easiest fix for next time! Remember to gently press the granola down on the pan before baking, and do not stir it at all while it is cooling. This forces it to stick together and create those amazing clusters you love.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 3 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 181 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0.3g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0.1g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 6507mg | 283% |
| Total Carbohydrate 28.8g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 8.9g | 32% |
| Total Sugars 14.5g | |
| Protein 0.7g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 182mg | 14% |
| Iron 2mg | 9% |
| Potassium 155mg | 3% |