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:

Get This Recipe In Your Inbox
Share your email, and we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, enjoy daily doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!

Homemade Granola

rate this recipe:
4.95 from 231 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

  • 2 cups whole rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, (or almonds, or a mix of both)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes, optional
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries, optional

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.

 

205 comments

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Sue
    10.26.2022

    Calories per serving please

    • Phoebe Moore
      10.28.2022

      Hi Sue, we don’t calculate nutrition info for our recipes, but if you like, you can plug the recipe into an online nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal.

  2. Hiranya
    10.16.2022

    My variation:
    Oats
    Sliced almonds
    Pumpkin seeds
    Coconut
    Sesame seeds
    Hemp hearts
    Dried tart cherries
    Dried blueberries
    Dried cranberries
    Olive oil
    Maple syrup
    Sea salt
    Vanilla
    Almond extract
    Orange extraxt
    Cinnamon

    Baking now – can’t wait to try it tomorrow. I’ve never tried the extracts before. I’ll let you know how it is!
    Cheers.

  3. Lesli Hirsh
    10.16.2022

    Very tasty but mine got a little darker than I expected. I did exactly as instructed. Any tips for next time? Should I just lower my heat?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.16.2022

      Hi Lesli, I’d just keep an eye and bake it for less time.

    • jess
      11.02.2022

      2 stars
      half of it burned, the other half was way too dark. I even took it out of the oven 7 minutes early. I rotated it, too.

      • Phoebe Moore
        11.04.2022

        Hi Jess, did you change anything about the recipe? If not, I’d suggest baking the granola on a middle or high rack in your oven. If you bake it on a low rack, it will brown more quickly. Hope this helps!

  4. Kiat Seng Lee
    10.11.2022

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Easy to follow and well organised with advice. I did my first today. Excellent! Though I left out the cinnamon. It still worked! I used pecans, macadamia and walnuts. The granola turned out perfect. 🤗

  5. Tracey
    10.01.2022

    Can you substitute olive oil for the melted coconut oil? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      Hi Tracey, yes, that should be fine.

  6. Bridget Cassun
    09.30.2022

    5 stars
    This was really delicious and so simple to make; loved the tang of the cranberries.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  7. Stevie Smith
    09.30.2022

    5 stars
    Easy and delicious! Served mine over coconut yogurt and it was the perfect snack.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  8. Kris
    09.30.2022

    5 stars
    This was the first time I’ve ever made granola and it was so easy. Now I know I can whip up a batch with what’s in my pantry.

  9. Cainim Truax
    09.30.2022

    This was great. Once again Love and Lemons getting me to make things I’d never made before.

    This website just keeps giving. (As do Jeanine’s cookbooks buy them if you haven’t already)

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      Aww, I’m so happy you’ve been loving the books and the recipes 🙂

  10. Katie
    09.29.2022

    This recipe is SO good! I haven’t even tried the granola with milk or yogurt because I can’t stop snacking on it. I added some millet and chia seeds for crunch and swapped walnuts for almonds because my children prefer them. It’s a winner! I will be making this on repeat!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      Ooh I love the idea of adding millet. I’m so glad you’ve all enjoyed it!

  11. Susan Collison
    09.29.2022

    5 stars
    Never have I tasted granola this good ~ still warm from the oven, the tender, nutty crunch with a hint of sweetness was a welcome treat at our brunch!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.02.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  12. Diane Blodgett
    09.28.2022

    5 stars
    We loved the granola! I used almonds instead of walnuts.

  13. Isabelle Spence-Legault
    09.26.2022

    5 stars
    My six year old and husband immediately came to the kitchen saying that it smelled amazing.

    Such an easy recipe that tastes amazing – no more buying granola from the grocery store for me!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.27.2022

      I’m so glad they loved it!

  14. Stephanie Peterson
    09.26.2022

    This is honestly my go to granola recipe! I use tahini or peanut butter in place of the almond butter for a nut allergy. So delicious!

  15. Angie F.
    09.26.2022

    5 stars
    So easy and delicious, and as an added bonus it makes the house smell incredible while baking! We love having this granola as a healthy snack during a busy week.

  16. Brenda Leis
    09.25.2022

    5 stars
    This was delicious. I have only ever used peanut butter in granola before so the almond butter was a nice twist on that. I liked that there was less fat and sugar than many recipes. I like the great variety of types of recipes you use for the cooking club.

  17. Shannon Heiliger
    09.25.2022

    5 stars
    I love granola but I know most of it out there is packed with sugar so I tend to avoid it. I was so happy to see this recipe and is perfect with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Cashew Yogurt! My husband (who is obsessed with coconut) loved it too!

  18. Charlotte M
    09.25.2022

    Made this recipe and subbed peanut butter for almond butter. It was delicious! Thanks 😉

  19. Sara Robert
    09.23.2022

    5 stars
    This was fantastic! I loved it with walnuts – these got perfectly toasty and crisp in the oven. Also, the house smelled amazing while the granola baked…cinnamon-y and like fall 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.23.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  20. Devon Pluck
    09.21.2022

    5 stars
    Easy to follow, and came out great! Love the simple ingredients and not too much fat or sugar. I used tahini as I did not have smooth almond butter and it subbed in fine. I added pumpkin and sunflower seeds, too.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
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.