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.
We cannot get enough of this. Just finished making another batch! I have to disagree with you on the salt. I cannot have salt in my diet so leave it out. It is not missed at all. We make it different every time, and this time added dates (Chinese and Indian), crushed flax and hemp seed, and all kinds of nuts. I also cook the dates from the beginning so they get chewier, pecans and coconut flakes too but never had a problem with them burning. I agree with another reviewer that it would make a great gift. I’m going to pass this out at Christmas instead of cookies :)
Thank you!
Wonderful, Mia! Thanks for sharing.
The only granola I make! It is perfect in every way. I use pecans, walnuts, and coconut. Delicious! Thanks, Kate, I love your recipes!
I made this for the first time and it is delicious! I made the triple coconut–coconut oil and shredded unsweetened coconut with the oats, then added wide sliced unsweetened coconut halfway through the baking. I added walnuts, raisins and dried cranberries. I didn’t have parchment paper, so used foil (shiny side down). I will use this again and again! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing what you did, Victoria!
This is the best granola! Recipe is perfect. Cant wait to try some of your other recipes!
Best granola ever!! I change it up with the seasons. Fall, use almond extract instead of vanilla. I add a half cup almond butter when I want bars (sprinkle a few mini butterscotch chips on top…yum)
I also sometimes use butter for my oil..
Try half honey half real maple syrup…yum
Such a fantastic base recipe!! Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing, Robin! I’m happy to hear you loved it.
If I wanted to make half the recipe, should I shorten the baking time then? If so, by how long?
Hi Marta, keep your eye on it. Without doing it myself, I’m not quite sure.
I halved the recipe but did the full cooking time – came out great!
I made half the recipe, and cooked it in a small baking pan at the full cooking time (~22 min, stirring halfway through). I used coconut oil, real maple syrup, half slivered almonds and half pecan pieces. I also added unsweetened coconut flakes at the midway point and dried blueberries after I took it out of the oven. It is cooling now but it looks and smells delicious! I can’t wait to have this in plain yogurt tomorrow!
This is my go to granola recipe! It is delicious and every time I make it, it gets eaten very fast. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
You’re welcome, Chelsie!
Kate yours looks great
Bought all the ingredients I need from Costco for about $60. organic Figs & Organic Raisin Granola is my favorite, with chopped walnuts… PERFECT! I have almost enough granola ingredients for literally 20 batches it seems! (will just need to buy more whole oats but everything else will last) Perfect because l plan to prep this every week for my family.
Prices at my costco-
-10lbs old fashioned oats- $10
-(huge jar of)organic coconut oil- $13
-honey- $8
-organic raisins – $6
-organic figs – $10
-Walnuts – $10
What temperature do you bake the granola at?
So easy to make and especially fun to create. I’ve made C+K’s granola several times with varying ingredients. Not one bad batch yet. Thank you for sharing.
This is absolutely delicious granola! I added almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, and golden raisins to the base recipe; I’ll definitely be making this again!
Looking forward to making this later today! Do you think it would come out the same if I used grape seed oil instead of olive or vegetable? Thank you!
How did it turnout for you?
I used grapeseed oil and it came out delicious!
Yay!!! I used a mix of grapeseed and olive and it came out perfectly. I also added in pepitas, almonds, and shredded coconut. This goes great with almond milk or in a yogurt parfait! Thanks for a great recipe!
Incredible, but too much salt IMHO, could have cut it by 2/3 had I known. Delicious nevertheless
Hi Kate, would sunflower or rapeseed oil work with this recipe?
Thanks
I haven’t tried it, but could work ok!
I want to try this recipe and was wondering if using avocado oil instead of EVOO ok to use?
It should work ok as well!
Love the flavor but am having no success with getting the lumpy, chunky granola that I want. Is total cooking time 21 to 24 minutes with stir at about 12 minutes? Do you skip the stir to get it chunky? Do I need more syrup? I did add more nuts than called for because I love nuts! Added Filberts and Brazil nuts plus extra pepitas, kept the oatmeal amt the same.
Hi! Make sure you let it rest and cool completely on the baking sheet. You will get it more clumpy. The additional nuts could also impact it.
Not sure what I did wrong. Tastes salty, falls apart. Baked too long? My husband says it’s ok, but I’m not feeling it. Maybe needed more honey. I like a little sweetness in granola. Not sure how to tweak it.
Oh no! You may need to make sure the salt is more incorporated before adding the liquid. Did you let it cool completely on the baking sheet?
I made this with oats, sliced almonds, coconut, and used butter flavoured coconut oil and maple syrup. In the last ten minutes of baking time, I added banana chips. The whole family thinks it’s delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing, JG!
Excellent recipe love the way it turns out
5*!
Thank you, Sheldon!
I was super excited to make this! And then it came out burnt… so sad. I will have to try it again. I shouldn’t have put the nuts or coconut in at the beginning, I should have waited half way through cooking to add them. Oh well, I know better! I went to culinary school. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. You want to nuts to be nice and toasted. How long did you leave it in for? Some oven temps can vary and it does cook some as it cools. Maybe try on the lower end next time.
I’ve tried other granola recipes and haven’t been thrilled. This one is delicious! Making it again today. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m happy you love it.
I’m making my 3ed batch today, I’m addicted it’s so good, the perfect topping for my instant pot yogurt!!
I love that! Thanks for your review, Julie.
I found it needs less time in the oven. I baked for 20 mins and it came out nearly burnt :(
That being said, I can tell it would be delicious if baked for a few minutes less
Oh no! Sounds like your oven runs a little hot. Adjust as you see fit.:)
Thank you for introducing this granola into my life! I’ve made it countless times with both oils and both sweeteners and there’s just not a bad combination in the bunch. I’ve “had to” go back to store bought on occasion and there’s no comparison. Love knowing and controlling exactly what I’m eating!
I just need to stir is every 5 minutes I think. I changed the recipe and I added extra honey at the end of cooking and it was delicious! Thanks Kate!
Love this recipe. So addicting.
Great to hear, Ree!
Just wanted you to know this recipe has become a staple in my house! I make it frequently when I have overnight guests…it is now requested by repeat visitors! Thank you!
Hello, tried your recipe and it turned out amazing!! I was just wondering gif I can cut back on the olive oil?
You could use coconut oil. The helps withe the sweetener to get the granola nice and clumpy.
Kate and Cookie never disappoint! This turned out fantastic! I used half coconut oil and half olive oil and pure maple syrup, and topped it with about a cup of unsweetened coconut halfway through.Crunchy and satisfying. Thank you!
Thank you, Lee!
This was my first attempt of making granola and I’m so pleased with the results! Because I was running a little short on some ingredients, I made a number of substitutions. I used brown rice syrup instead of maple syrup, substituted one cup of oats for popped brown rice and only added 2 teaspoons of oil. I ended up with delicious, crunchy clusters of granola and can’t wait to try different flavours and add ins. It would even make tasty muesli bars. Thanks for this great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Mila!
This turned out perfectly. My children keep asking for it every morning. Now to quadruple the batch since we are a large family. Thank-you
Yes folks this IS the perfect granola. I’ve been making it for several years now. Sent a half ton of it to my niece stationed in Afghanistan as it was shared among her unit with rave reviews. Thank you Kate. Keeping cooking fun !
Delicious! I’d make again and again
This is truly the best granola..I use Brazil nuts & seeds in mine, haven’t tried dried fruit as yet. Not a big fan of vanilla so have left that out & always use my friends honey straight from the hive!!
Thank you! I’m happy you love it.
Can you recommend other grains that could be mixed in and added with the oats? A second or third grain might give it more layers of texture and crunch. For example, would quinoa work?
I’m not sure about quinoa as it can get rather hard. I like this as is with the nuts and seeds, sorry to not be more helpful!
Hi James, I haven’t tried it myself, but I wonder if a puffed cereal like puffed rice or puffed quinoa would work here!
Would I be able to leave out the dried fruit and nuts/seeds without having to change anything else about the recipe quantities? I prefer a plain granola :) Thank you!
Hi! I guess you could only use oats, but I’m not sure about alterations without trying it. My assumption is you will want to add at least half the quantity of oats for the nut/seed mixture.
done it twice..superb..thank you for the recepies
Thanks for sharing!
Mine came out a lil crumbly but I tossed in extra nuts and seeds and it’s actually perfect for yogurt topping. Flavor is great! Highly recommended.
Thanks for sharing!
This is delicious granola, but to call it “healthy” is a mistake. For clumpy, chewy granola, you probably need all that oil and sugar. But even if it is “natural”, it’s still adding a huge amount of calories from fat and sugar to otherwise healthy oats. Sure, it’s better than most “muffins” which are essentially cake, and it’s better than most sugar cereals. But I can’t call it healthy.
I disagree. The fats are all the “good” fats and the sweetener is minimal.
Haven’t you heard? Counting calories is not helpful in maintaining a healthy weight. Portion control maybe, but not tabulating calories. It’s the quality of your ingredients that counts. Unrefined, natural ingredients.
I want to make a healthy granola plus it is easy to make. I was so happy when I came across your recipe. I have just made it ! Super easy and quick and absolutely amazing!!! I used olive oil and honey with lemon. I just wanted to keep eating it. Thank you so much Kate!
I want to try this but my family really only likes plain granola (nothing fancy, no nuts, no dried fruit – just crunchy clumpy sweetened oats). If I want to make a super “basic” version of this, do I just replace the nuts/dried fruit in the recipe with just more oats? And just simply omit the optional coconut?
I know getting the wet to dry ingredients ratio is rather crucial. Didn’t know if you had any recommendations when making the granola “plain”. Thanks.
Hi Janet! I’m not sure without trying. I would recommend increasing the oats by almost equal of what you are leaving out. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Dear Kate,
We LOVE this recipe!
We all make our own homemade-granola.
Mine has lots of nuts and seeds added to it.
My 10 year old son makes his own plane version.
Now my sister and mom started to make their own too.
It is super easy, and so delicious.
Thank you!
This granola is incredible. I will never buy granola at the store again.
I’m excited you love it so much, Lindsay!
Absolutely loved this healthy granola. Made it with craisins.
This recipe is delicious! My kids and I devoured it in just a few days and I am working on another batch tonight! This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you so much for this incredibly delicious recipe! It’s an all family megahit, and when it’s gone, the troops immediately start begging for more. Ran out of vanilla when I doubled the last batch, so I used coconut extract for last teaspoon. Yummy both ways!
You’re welcome, Kim! I’m glad you loved it.
Made the recipe for the first time. Best granola I’ve ever made and I’ve made granola a lot. Delicious! Made with maple syrup. Just the right amount of sweetness for our taste.
Thank you for your comment and review, Emily!
the only problem is that I couldn’t stop eating it!! Love it!!
That is a great problem to have! Thanks for sharing, Donna.
How long does this granola last in a jar at room temperature?
TY
Hi Janet,Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
Terrific recipe: simple. Quick.
O how I wish I had cut down the salt, tho. I’m so used to hardly any salt that it doesn’t just impact the flavors – it tastes like salt.
You have lovely comments about the “clumping,” according to preference – if it’s possible to add “cut salt if you don’t like salted caramel and never salt your food” — that would be so helpful.
Thank you for sharing your cooking and your life!
Hi Jenna, you can omit the salt if you like or reduce it. Thanks for your comment!
Made this a few times now. So much better than shop bought.
I made your healthy granola today and even though I had self control and left it undisturbed for 45 minutes, I can’t stop eating it right off the baking sheet!
I added unsweetened coconut after the 1st 10 minutes of baking and I’m glad that I did. I used a mix of hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pepitas, and almonds.
I’ll be sure and make a double batch next time so I can share it with my friends.
I’m glad you loved it, Lisa! Thanks for your review.