The Very Best Granola
This delicious healthy granola recipe is the best! It's naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). Just add oats, coconut oil, nuts and dried fruit.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Do you love granola? Me, too! Today, I’m sharing my “basic” granola recipe, which is also the best granola recipe. Granted, I’m partial, but it really is the best and I use that term sparingly. Over two hundred five-star reviews agree!
In fact, I love this recipe so much that I shared it in my cookbook, Love Real Food. This granola makes a wonderful snack or breakfast (add your milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit). It also stores beautifully, so it makes a great homemade gift.
Once you try homemade granola, you won’t go back to store-bought granola. It’s so much better!
This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option, since it’s made with whole grains, unrefined oil and naturally sweetened. You just can’t beat freshly baked granola packed with delicious and good-for-you ingredients.
Plus, homemade granola is super easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl and some basic pantry ingredients. Ready to make some?
Watch How to Make Healthy Granola
Now that you have my base recipe, you can play around with the mix-ins and spices to make it your favorite granola.
By the way, you can preserve that freshly baked flavor by storing this granola in the freezer. Just let it warm to room temperature for a few minutes, and enjoy.
Healthy Granola Ingredients
Oats
Heart-healthy, hearty, whole-grain old-fashioned oats keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.
Nuts and/or Seeds
I used pecans and pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds.
Unrefined Oil
Oil helps make this granola crisp and irresistible. I prefer unrefined coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture.
You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you’d like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!
Natural Sweetener
I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. As a bonus, these natural sweeteners infuse your granola extra-delicious flavor that sugar would not.
Salt and Spice
For flavorful granola, don’t skip the salt! Too little and your flavors won’t sing. I prefer using fine-grain sea salt in this one (I always cook with fine-grain sea salt), but regular salt will do, too (just use a little less).
I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit lends some extra sweetness, chewy texture and irresistible fruity flavor. I used dried cranberries for this batch. I also love tart dried cherries, raisins and chopped dried apricots.
Optional Mix-Ins
For fresh citrus flavor, stir fresh citrus zest (up to 2 teaspoons) into the mixture before baking. I love adding orange zest, in particular.
You can add chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled (otherwise, they’ll melt).
If you’d like to add unsweetened coconut flakes, you can add it halfway through baking for perfectly toasted results (see recipe note).
Chunky Granola Tips
Some of you, like me, love big clumps in your granola. Here are my tips to achieving the best clumps:
- Your oats need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together, but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly. I recommend using a basic half sheet pan (affiliate link) for this granola recipe. It’s the perfect size and the rimmed edges make sure no granola falls overboard.
- Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so the sweetener sticks to your oats rather than the pan.
- For maximum clumps, gently press down on the granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
- Don’t bake the granola too long—just until it’s lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it’s done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds.
- Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. I’ve even left it on the pan overnight, covered.
Even with all those techniques in place, I occasionally end up with a batch of granola that isn’t as clumpy as my others, for reasons that I can’t explain. It’s always delicious, though!
Granola Variations
This recipe is my favorite, go-to granola recipe. Over the years, I’ve played around with it to create a bunch of fun variations. Here they are for inspiration:
- Orange and Almond Granola: This recipe includes orange zest (2 teaspoons), whole almonds and golden raisins.
- Triple Coconut Granola: This recipe calls for coconut oil, large coconut flakes and shredded coconut.
- Cranberry Orange Granola: This recipe is quite similar to this one, but a little sweeter and full of vibrant orange flavor.
- Honey Almond Granola: Just what it sounds like, plus chopped dried apricots! Delightful.
- Gingerbread Granola: This granola includes molasses and extra warming spices, plus coconut flakes, dried cranberries and chopped candied ginger.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this granola recipe becomes your new favorite.
Healthy Granola
This delicious healthy granola recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). It’s made with oats, coconut oil and your favorite nuts and fruit. Make it your own! Recipe yields about 8 cups granola, enough for about 16 half-cup servings.
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
- 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 1 cup pecans and ½ cup pepitas)
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
- Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
- Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
- Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.
- Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted Meg Gordan’s granola, which I’ve tweaked over the years.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it nut free: Use seeds, like pepitas or sunflower seeds, instead of nuts.
*If you want toasted coconut in your granola: Stir the coconut flakes into the granola halfway through baking. They’ll get nice and toasty that way.
Serving suggestions: This granola is awesome on its own, with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit, and you can even throw a couple handfuls into a salad for granola “croutons.”
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
LOVE IT and so easy to make! I can’t keep enough around. Hubby keeps eating it up!
Thank you for your review, Kathleen! I appreciate it.
I’ve made this 3 times now and everyone who tries it asks me to make it for them! Thank you for the best granola recipe by far!
Great to hear, Beverly!
My favourite granola recipe. Every time it turns out great. I used pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the cinnamon! I do find I need to bake it slightly longer than noted in the recipe. This is on repeat in my kitchen.
All time favorite granola recipe! Thinking now of cutting back on the oil. Do you have a recommendation for how to incorporate unsweetened applesauce?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
I love this recipe and have made it several times! Does it freeze well even if there is dried fruit in it
I have made this multiple times.
Family loves and I’m always gifting it to visitors. I will be making it for Christmas gifts.
Thank you!
Me too!! How do you plan to package it to give it? Tin? Mason jar? So fun!!
I use mason jars with colorful easy to open plastic lids.
I also have gifted smaller Bonne Maman jam jars to people who I am unsure will like. Then move them up to bigger jars when I hear how much they like.
I buy replacement lids on Amazon for the Bonne Maman jars. They have them in cute designs that fit perfect.
❤️
I may be too late with my suggestion but I’m also making this for Christmas presents. My plan is to use mason jars that hold about 3 cups and tie a festive ribbon around and possibly an ornament.
My favorite granola. My absolute go-to. I cut the salt back to less than half, just to my taste, but it’s just a brilliant, delicious, healthy breakfast with yogurt and fruit, or as a snack. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sandra! I appreciate your review.
I’m am shopping for all these ingredients and making it tomorrow. Comments are too good for this to not be tasty. Diabetic here, but refuse to make this with an artificial sweetener. Has anyone made this with agave syrup as either the lone sweetener or combined with the maple syrup and/or honey? I think it would work similarly as the others and date syrup, but wanted to poll the readers.
I make this with maple syrup all the time (1-1 – I may give it a go with even less sweetness) – we don’t keep sugar in the house. It works very well and is delicious.
Love this recipe! I tried it with half honey and half maple syrup and it turned out delish! Thank you
Hi,
I recently made this recipe and it is delicious. I used honey and coconut oil, along with pecans, pepitas and cranberries. This is soooooo much better than store bought. I also made some for my daughter and son-in-law using cherries instead of cranberries at their request. They love it also. I use a lot of the recipes from your cookbook and online. I have never been disappointed with any of them.
Thank you for sharing your talent.
Marie
I’ve recently switched to a whole foods diet and I love granola. I decided to try and make my own instead of buying at the store. You are correct, not going back to store bought. It’s so tasty. I can’t wait to try variations!
I made this granola for the first time today. It is FABULOUS. Whenever I try an online recipe, it’s never as good as described, but THIS was my first success story! My husband tasted it and couldn’t believe how delicious it was. He LOVED IT. Not too sweet, not too salty. I used regular table salt and only used 1/2 tsp. Perfect for my tastebuds. I used Pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut oil and maple syrup. So fantastic with the maple syrup. Also used dried mango and dried apple for the fruit. So so good! It would be great with ANY fruit. Thank you for posting such a delicious recipe!
I have made this granola for years. I no longer buy cereal or granola because this is just that good! I love all Kate’s recipes. I am a major fan! I gave this granola as Christmas gifts and plan to do so again this year.
My granola is greasy I followed the recipe using maybe a few less nuts. Any suggestions On how to save this batch?
I’m sorry to hear that. How long did you bake it for? Are you sure you added the sweetener?
This is a fabulous recipe and I have made it multiple times. I have forwarded the recipe onto many friends who also love it.
Thank you
I have made this so many times and it is amazing! I would like to add some protein powder to boost the macros a little, any recommendations?
I add about a scoop of protein powder to mine and it comes out great!
Thank you Kate, I love this recipe! I have tried a few different granola recipes lately and this is the best!! I have made it about 5 times now as my whole family loves it ❤️
I accidentally added the dried fruit to the mix before cooking…fingers crossed it turns out okay.
I hope it turned out!
This recipe really is the best! So delicious. I made this last all week long with my yogurts and I even had some today with just milk – makes a great cereal as well! This just became a staple in my meal prepping! thank you so much for sharing :)
Can I pour milk over it like cereal?
Sure!
This recipe is amazing !!!! Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Laura!
This recipe makes the whole house smell great, and was very easy to make. I made it using chopped nuts, and I added dried blueberries to it. Makes a great breakfast cereal.
This is the BEST granola! I was worried about the coconut oil giving it too much of a coconut-ty flavor, but I was wrong. And I made it my own by adding in flax and chia seeds, walnuts with the almonds, then once cool added in chopped dried cherries, apricots, blueberries, and cranberries. So so easy to make and delicious. My picky eater grandkids ask for it every time they’re here, so I’ll be making it again and again! Thank you so much for this wonderful granola recipe, like everyone else, there’s no need to buy granola in the store. This recipe is a sure winner!
I’m glad you loved it, Rina!
This is the BEST granola I’ve ever had. There’s one problem though … I can’t stop eating it
I’m excited you loved it!
This is on my weekly rotation! Eat it with greek yogurt for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sometimes I get so busy and just need something quick and this works great. Other times I have had a big lunch and just want something small for dinner. This hits the spot. Very filling when added to yogurt!
Thank you for sharing, Jana!
I made this with some local orange blossom honey and it was amazing .
I make it weekly— and have shared with so many people! The best ever
I Ordered Prana on Amazon…. I was so disappointed by the sugary fake taste. So I set out to make a batch of granola from online. I came across this recipe. Oh my goodness. It was superior to the one I had ordered. I used walnuts, sunflower seeds and almonds. For the fruit I made up a mixture of dates, raisins and dried papaya. Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome, Darlene!
Granola is delicious!!
Really great. I have made this before but this time I used avocado oil instead of coconut oil. I think the avocado oil has a more neutral flavor and my husband and I liked it a lot more. Thanks for the great recipe!
I used 2 bags rolled oats..about 1.8kg. 1 cup honey n 1 cup peanut oil. It turned out great. Did not add nuts or fruits. We usually add when eating.
This was the first time I made granola and it was a hit! So delicious!
This granola recipe is amazing and so customizable
Here are the changes I brought to the original recipe;
+3 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder
+1/2 cup of almond flour
+ 1/2 of chopped nuts
+2 teaspoon of salt (for a sweet and salty taste)
+ 1/4 cup of honey
+ 1/4 cup of coconut
It makes for an even more filling granola
So you only used 1/4 of sweetner and it still clumped?
It did thanks to the almond flour that binded itself around the nuts I used (Chopped pecan, walnuts and almonds).
It also helps that I add chocolate chips at the end so everything comes together even more ! (I let the whole pan cool down after mixing in the chocolate) !
Went to a bed and breakfast and they served in yogurt and fruit. I was looking for a recipe and this is so addicting. It’s a 10 rating for sure!
Love this recipe. Mine doesn’t stay in chunks though like I would like it no matter how hard I press it down into the cookie sheet….it all breaks apart…but otherwise it’s delicious.
I tried this granola, it is awesome. I used the Trader Joe’s GF Organic mix with ancient grains & seed and used coconut oil. it is sooo good I am going to make this as Christmas gifts to friends. Great recipe!!! Thank you!
Simply the best!!! I make it weekly–cannot eat my morning yogurt without it :)
It’s so easy to make –and so incredibly delicious and healthy. I have shared the granola with neighbors and friends –who all make it now, too.
I make this granola at least once every 2 weeks, and that’s pushing it. I absolutely LOVE it! I like to try new dried fruits/nuts every time but my faves are dried cherries & cranberries with pecans, walnuts, and/or macadamia nuts.
I have made this granola 3 times. It’s so tasty. Everyone loves it. I just need to adjust the baking time because the oats not very crunchy but still yummy. My daughter and I always eat it with yogurt. Oh so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe
You’re welcome, Aznor!
I just made this granola – it didn’t clump at all. Any way I can fix this? I followed the recipe exactly…
I’m relatively new to the homemade granola scene, but my search for the ideal recipe has ended with this one! Perfect as is, but also a great starting point for customization. This is a big hit with everyone in the household.
This was perfection! Way cleaner ingredients than the expensive store- bought granola and tastes 100% better.
Thank you!
You’re welcome, Shami!
I’ve been making this now for a couple of years, and my husband loves it! (I do too!) I use 1/2 honey and 1/2 maple syrup (so 1/4 cup of each), and have found that gives just the right amount of “clump”. I also have cut the salt down to 1/4 tsp as we have to watch our sodium, and it is still great!
This really is the best granola recipe. Made it so often and always works. I use banana peanut butter in it too and it’s amazing. Thanks so much
Excellent recipe. Thanks for sharing. It came out fantastic.
Kate,
This granola is amazing, easy and delicious. We all love it and every time I see a friend they are expecting me to bring a hefty bag full.
Thank you
Wendy
Hi
Do you think I can leave out the oils or do I need to use it?
Thanks
It’s best as written.
Can I cut back the sweetener to 1/4 or 1/3 cup?
I am about to try out this recipe but I am confused with the cup measurements as I am comfortable with grams can you help please
Delicious and easy granola! Thank you for the recipe ❤️
You’re welcome, SV!
No need to search for another recipe! This makes a delicious granola – I used half the amount of salt.
Thank you for sharing, Diana!
Made and liked this recipe. Actually added dehydrated blueberries prepared by myself. Making a second batch today. My wife said it’s the best that I have made
My morning yogurt with this granola is a great start of the day.