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.
Best granola recipe! So much better than the store-bought. Perfect sugar content (not too sweet), super crunchy, very aromatic and also not too heavy on your stomach like a store-bought granola. I’ve added tart cherries in the end along with some Thompson’s raisins. So good!
I tried this recipe, and it was very easy and tastes good. The only thing I did differently was I used peanut butter, very delicious.
No point trying another recipe..this granola is..THE..best!! I have made it several times now, for myself and others. They each love it as much as me.
You did it again! If you say it’s the best, it really is! Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe that my whole family gobbles up!
Make your granola on a regular basis! Sooo good.
This has been my go to recipe for granola for almost a year. I make it almost monthly. The only change I made was to use sugar free syrup or lite syrup. I absolutely love this. It is my mid-day snack. I also use it on top of yogurt. We are a multi-generational household so there are varying opinions to whether we buy granola or make it. Clearly my generation (the elder one) has won!
I followed the directions to a T and at about 14 minutes in the oven they burned! Why did this happen to me? Whenever I make granola I get a soggy, burned mess. Any tips? I want to stop spending $7 on an 8 oz bag of this stuff! Please help if you have any ideas! Giving a 5-star rating because I’m sure it’s not the recipe’s fault!
Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Lower your heat. You might have to bake it longer at a lower temperature but it’s better than burned!
I first tried this recipe when visiting my sister-in-law in Sarasota. We loved it so much, she gave us the link to your recipe, and we now make it back home in West Sussex, England!
,*****
My granddaughter and I make this regularly, we both absolutely love it♥️ Nice easy recipe for her to measure out and stir ( have to stop her eating it before I get it into the oven )
Amazing recipe!
I used avocado oil, Michigan maple syrup, hemp, chia, flax, seeds, walnuts, dates-
Simple, easy, healthy!
Thanks!
I’ll be making it again!
I’ve been making this perfect granola weekly for years. Sometimes I use Brazil nuts which add a nice unique flavor. I’ve also gone rogue and swapped the spices for 1/2 cup cocoa powder. So worth it. Thanks Kate!
This is my favorite Granola. I make it, once a month and share with family and golfing buddies because its makes way too much for one person.
However, they do not share, LOL!
This is a really amazing granola recipe! Delicious. Thank you for sharing it! I opted for honey and used coconut oil. Packed it tighter in a pan to have more chunky granola, my hubby likes it that way. Enjoy!
So simple and so fantastic! I will never buy granola from the store again, this is so much better. Thank you for the recipe!
Love it, I have now used this recipe for about 2 years. I make it 3x volume and with organic oats, maple syrup or agave, pecans, orange zest and chopped cranberies. Most often, i enjoy as a dessert with yogurt and oat milk in the evening. Yummy
I love this recipe!
I have been experimenting — gradually increasing the nut to oat ratio to equal amounts. I use 1 cup whole almonds, one cup walnuts broken into pieces smaller than 1/2 walnut centers, 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup pepitas. I increased the cinnamon to 3/4 tsp.
Today I am going to try some unsweetened coconut when I add the dried fruit.
This granola is a great treat! Thanks for sharing it!
This is our favorite granola recipe! It turns out perfect every time.
Delicious, customizable, and simple! Thank you!
This recipe is delicious, I usually just throw in a mixture of whatever nut/seed/fruit combination I have in the pantry. Never fails to be an crowd pleaser.. I make it in a big washing up bowl so there is plenty to give jars out to the whole family
I make this weekly. Seriously is the best granola.
This is by far my favorite granola recipe that I have ever made, and I have tried a lot. I use Maple syrup. pecans, walnuts and then add raisins and dried cranberries after it’s out of the oven. It’s so yummy!!!! I will only make this recipe from now on!
Love this granola. Only used oats, pecans, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, avocado oil and vanilla. It is crunchy and will stay in bigger chunks if you follow directions. Perfect addition to my Greek yogurt.
This stuff is awesome! Very giftable and very flexible recipe.
I have subbed butter for coconut oil.
I’ve done half honey, half maple syrup.
I’ve added flax seeds before baking.
And, for people who don’t like nuts, I’ve added freeze-dried fruit after baking.
Every time, it’s been great! Thanks so much for posting!
I have made this many times with different combos of fruit and nuts and love it. BUT I can never get mine to clump like granola usually does. It is very loose. Taste amazing though!
I’m making this recipe on repeat. I don’t care for a few of the ingredients so leave them out and use the recipe as ‘guidance’ for our palate. My whim of the day will guide what nuts I use and how much maple syrup goes in. It’s truly the best granola I’ve had outside of European countries. It goes well with my homemade Greek yogurt.
Made this today and actually I used this recipe about a year ago. Love this recipe!! I used Olive Oil but next time I will use Coconut Oil instead. Like that flavor better. Will use this recipe every time that I make granola.
Great recipe. I’ve made this 3 times in the last 10 days. I’ve given some away but have eaten most myself. Needless to say I’m getting plenty of fiber.
I made this and it was awesome, better than the store bought ones. I am going to make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Love love love this recipe… have even converted my teenage kids to make this their favourite granola! Thank you!
This is the second time to make this yummy granola… made it with olive oil and maple syrup. I added in a little shredded coconut, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, dried unsweetened cranberries, and of course some dark choc chips! It’s so satisfying to make your own granola. Love how fast and easy, too! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Very yummy.
‘Tis is now my go-to recipe for granola…..delish !!!!!!
If it’s your “go-to” recipe, why did you only give it 3 stars? Was that an error?
My mistake….fixed it to reflect 5 stars
Definitely in error. 5 stars all the way…easy and delicious recipe!!!
Incredible recipe , I’ve been using it for the past 3 weeks and my husband and I are both obsessed ! Goes really well with Acai bowls !
This recipe is a consistent win and my son prefers this homemade granola to anything that comes from the store. Mom Win!
I love this recipe for granola!! So easy to follow and it’s explained very well!! Thank you!
This is the best granola I have ever had.
I have made it 3 times in the last
month. I will be making more today.
Delicious!!!!
I’ve tried a lot of granola recipes and this one is the best! The granola gets crunchy and the sweetness is perfect. Often switch out the oil with equal parts aquafaba and it’s still delicious!
This granola was easy to make and really delicious. I flattened it out pretty well and after cooking it came out crunchy and so tasty.
C
Made this and it is perfect. I would have added the chocolate and fruit a little earlier because it doesn’t stick with anything.
Tastes so amazing, I used vegetable oil instead of olive oil for the taste.
Please don’t use vegetable oil. It’s toxic. If you want an unflavored oil, try avocado oil. That’s one of the “healthy” oils.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for the heads up, can you tell me how it’s toxic?
it affects our bodies hormones. it disrupts how they are supposed to work. hormones control everything from your breathing, to your heart rate, to your weight and all your other bodily functions. remove all oils except olive, avocado and coconut in your diet and see how you feel.
Stop fear mongering.
I made this with honey, almonds and pistachios and some freeze-dried mixed fruit. It is absolutely delicious and super easy to make, my family loves it too. I’m just starting to make healthier foods so this was a great recipe to start. I added the fruit in before baking and should have waited until after but it is still delicious.
Absolutely & utterly the easiest & most scrumptious granola recipe ever. Always keep ingredients in stock – quick to make with added bonus to tweak to your liking…..always extra hazelnuts & cranberries for me. Would NEVER buy another boxed granola. A healthy moorish snack. Friends love it when they receive as a gift. My family & I just love it! ♥️
Made this granola recipe on my SNOW DAY here in Nebraska since I work for the public schools here in Lincoln with special needs students! Love adding it to my yogurt at lunch.
I made this today and followed the directions exactly but I didn’t get any clusters whatsoever which makes it difficult to eat cuz the oats didn’t really clump up or anything. Tasted good though. Maybe increase the maple syrup next time? Not sure.
Try it with honey- I find it clumps more than maple syrup- and a smaller tray so it’s a bit more packed in :)
I made it today and had exactly the same experience. It did not clump. I followed the recipe exactly I didn’t have enough maple syrup. So used half honey. And half maple syrup. Not sure what went wrong. It tastes great but doesn’t have the clumps – it’s more like a muesli consistency.
Okay, so I’ve made this 4 or 5 times now in the last 2 months. My entire family LOVES it. I’ve looked at other recipes, but this is so simple, why bother when it’s perfect? I’ve played around with different types of oils, nuts, fruit and syrups/honey. All are great, but honestly I think our favorite is exactly how recipe is written. Love the toasty nut flavor and baking at 350 is perfect (others are lower temp) for that. I add some flax meal for additional nutrition, but you don’t even notice it. I may never buy granola again. Thank you for the recipe!!!
This is so delicious! We have nut allergies in my family so I substituted the pecans with crushed pretzels for the pecans and I used sunflower seeds in lieu of the pepitas. It was a little salty because of the substitutions, so I recommend cutting back on the salt if you do substitute in other ingredients. Still very scrumptious though!
The flavours are great together! I made my 1st batch and tried to get it clumpy, but it ended up all loose. Any other suggestions to make it clumpy?
Thanks
Press it into the pan with a spatula and don’t stir it half way through.
Thank you!
I used honey and pressed as you said and it turned out perfect. There are so many recipes out there that I’ve tried but just meh! This one is a gooder and one I know our family enjoys!
Thanks again!
I’ve made this a few times but use half the amount of coconut oil as I find it very oily otherwise, especially when eaten with milk. It comes out well.
The BEST granola recipe. It’s so simple and not too sweets. Ive shared this recipe with so many people.
This was hands down the best granola I’ve ever tasted in my life! I love that I can swap out different ingredients to add variety. Definite staple going forward!
This granola was so simple and customizable! I only had peanuts and sunflower seeds so threw those in there. Baked for 24 minutes (forgot to rotate halfway through, oops!) and turned out delicious. I ate it the next morning with yogurt and sliced banana. Thanks for creating such an awesome way to start my day!
Cannot believe how much I am enjoying this recipe! I will never buy store bought granola again. Highly recommend
The recipe was simple to make. It is very tasty. My wife also likes it. -Mark
Great Granola recipe. Turned out perfectly.