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.
This recipe was awesome! I also added a tablespoon of natural peanut butter for some extra flavor and it tastes great.
Hi Kate
It’s the first time I’ve made Granola and yours is the recipe I used.
It is a total winner and i will definitely be making it more often!
Three additions I did, was adding mixed nuts, mixed seeds & coconut flakes
Thanks so much, it’s absolutely delicious!
Eloise Coetzee (from South Africa)
This is my new go to. So easy. I can’t get I clumpy but maybe that is because I am using coconut oil?
Hi Barbara! I’m sorry to hear you can’t get the perfect clumps. Coconut oil should provide you will the same result as olive oil. Are you letting it cool completely? How long are you letting it bake for?
Hi Kate! I love this recipe….it is super delicious! Is there any way that I could make this without any type of oil and it would still turn out okay? I have a friend I want to make this for but due to a digestive health issue, she has to watch her oil/saturated fat intake. Thanks!
Hi Meghan! I haven’t tried it, but some have tried a nut butter. But, I haven’t tried it myself so not sure at all if it will work. Sorry!
Aquafaba- canned chickpea juice if beaten makes a good egg replacement/binder and is oil free. Potentially sugar syrup content can be deminished as well if wanted. Please forgive me i have not tried it in this context and am not an expert. But there is a lot of nice information available.
I’ve been using this brilliant recipe for a good few months now and it’s the best I’ve ever used. Every time it comes out slightly different, always good though.
It is easy to over bake it. Once it gets to 20 minutes keep an eye on it because the next few minutes can take it from perfect to just over done.
I’ve played around with the ingredients adding different things now and then. Always with good results.
Can I use sugar-free maple syrup? My hubby is diabetic, so we can’t use the sweetners in this recipe.
Hi! Sure, that should still work. Let me know!
This is the most delicious granola recipe ever! Sitting on my balcony with my first bowl and it’s made my morning!
What a great way to start your morning! Thank you for sharing, Emily.
This is my new go-to recipe for granola! I love using honey and avocado oil which makes it clump together just the way I like it. Delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Heidi! I’m glad you love it.
I made this granola and while it tasted good it never crisped up, rather was kind of soggy. I even tried putting it back in the oven and
re-baked it after it cooled off.
Is Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats ok to use?
Hi Sharlene, no I’m sorry, this granola will not work with steel cut oats of any variety.
This really is the best granola ever! I have made it many times for our big family breakfast buffets, and always it’s a favorite with everyone. The only thing I have changed is I use only a touch of salt – 1/4 tsp salt instead of 2 tsp., yet it’s plenty for us.
Sometimes I use maple flavoring; I will use quick rolled oats if I don’t have old-fashioned – but otherwise I follow your recipe exactly, except for the salt.
I don’t know how long it lasts because it never does!
This is my go to granola recipe! I love it with almond milk for breakfast or mixed in with my homemade greek yogurt for lunch. It’s delicious. My husband likes it when it’s still a little warm and he never liked granola before. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Can I use instant oats for making granola?
Hi! You really want old fashioned for this to get the right results. Sorry!
Absolutely delicious! I love that you can add whatever you fancy to make it your own. I used chopped pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Coconut oil gave a nice subtle flavour and the maple syrup was the perfect amount of sweetness. I will definitely not be going back to store bought anytime soon!
Hi Katie,
I am a big fan of this recipe and many others! I have tried more than 20 recipes and they are all great. Some of my favorites: this granola (which I have on repeat), the ratatouille recipe, Thai lettuce wraps…
A request that you might have received before: It would be great if you could please add the possibility of switching to “metric” measurements. I live in Europe and it would be so much more comfortable to not have to manually convert. Furthermore, many of your recipes I actually shrink, so it would be cool to have a 0.5x option.
Keep doing what you are doing – it is great!
Best,
María
I agree! A 0.5x option would be great, even 0.25x as I make small batches. Metric units help because a lot of the viewers are out of the rest of the world
This granola is delicious! However, I ended up with more crispy granola on the outside of the pan and more chewy on the inside. I wish it would all be crispy. Is there some way I can make it more even? I stirred the granola halfway through baking so I thought it would cook evenly. Definitely a step up from store bought, though, and I love being able to avoid plastic packaging! I added extra vanilla for a little more flavor.
Hi Nicole! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out perfectly. Did you have it evenly spaced on the pan? A little overlap is ok, but too much will end in an uneven result. I’m happy you were still able to enjoy it.
Thanks Kate! Next time I will try to use two cookie sheets to make sure that the granola has a little more space. It’s still delicious!
Could I potentially use vegetable oil?
Hi, It may work, although I prefer olive oil here.
I’ve never made granola before. Switched things up a bit with the nuts, seeds and dry fruits I used. It’s turned out quite nice although I should have reduced the salt a tad bit. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the recipe ❤️
Made this for my granola-loving husband and 6 yr old. Simple and delicious. I didn’t have pecans so I used a combination of pepitas, sunflower seeds and buckwheat kernels for crunch, and dried apricots and sultanas. Increased the vanilla by 1/2tsp – I imagine pecans add a lot of flavour that the seeds I used would not have.
This recipe was delicious, I made it with pecans and sultanas, it has got be back in to eating cereal again…thank you! :-)
I love this granola!
Any “no stick” tips for those of us who don’t have a silicone mat or don’t like to use parchment paper?
Hi Sarah, Sorry, I highly recommend having something down so it doesn’t stick.
This recipe is delish! I did tweak it a bit..
I didn’t put cinnamon in, i used olive oil and honey with sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, with 1/2 cup of powered peanut butter.. then halfway baked i mixed in shredded coconut! Once cooled i added dark chocolate chips & chia seeds!
OMG yummy!!
This recipe worked perfectly! Will definitely make this my, “go to” granola recipe. My kids loved the it!
I love this recipe! It keeps me from snacking on chips and cookies. I just made it for only the second time. I bake it for 20 minutes, and it is over baked each time. I’m going to have to experiment with reducing baking time and/or lowering the rack to the bottom.
Use a Slightly deeper dish and then check every few mins after 20 mins
I love this recipe, I have made it sugar free using a homemade monkfruit syrup, sugar free coconut, and raisins, us I added some dried elderberries. I have also made it nut free with flax and sunflower seeds. I love how versatile it is and it tastes delicious!
This recipe looks great! Will it work with quick cooking oats?
Hi! You really want old fashioned rolled oats for this one the be the very best granola. Let me know if you try it!
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!!! I would definitely use maple syrup rather than honey for a better taste, but other than that recommendation I have nothing to say about this recipe other than I will use it many times from now and already have made it three times!!! Thank you!!
I made your granola . It tastes nice but not sure why it’s not crispy? At first I baked For 20mins, then find it not crispy so I bake another 3 mins but still not crispy. Any advise? Thanks!
Hi Rose! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you stir halfway and let completely cool on the pan?
Hi Kate thanks for your prompt reply.
Yes I did stir halfway around 10mins later. But I never let it cool completely in pan because I am rushing out so I transferred the granola which is still warm to a plastic container ..is it the Main reason why it’s not crunchy? Must be completely cooled on pan then will turn out crunchy?
Hi Rose! Yes, that would be why it didn’t get crunchy. It needs to cool completely to achieve the crunch.
Oh I see! Oh dear can it still be save or any remedy to make it crunchy again?
It should still taste great, but you will likely need to start over to get the same crunch. Let me know how it goest with your next batch!
Hi Kate, Another thing is can I use Quick Oat?
Hi Roseleen! You will want rolled oats for it to turn out just right.
Hi Kate , thou not crunchy but still taste great! Can I use quick cooking rolled oats instead?
How about Using lemon Zest? Will that be nice?
Hi Rose, You still want to use old fashioned rolled oats. I would suggest my orange granola if you are interested in adding a zest.
Hi Kate , thank you so much for your replies & kind advise! Appreciate that!
I use this reccipe all the time; it is my go to. Have made it with pumpkin, pepitas, hemp, pecans, chia and cranberry for my breakfast cereal and then one with dark chocolate chips as a dessert granola to put with berries.
I’ve been making this granola for about a year now and it’s so good I can’t even be bothered with any other. I use avocado oil and I like to add a 1/2 tsp of maple flavoring because I love everything maple. But even without that added taste, it’s divine. I make mine with walnuts, pecans, and pepitas and no dried fruit because I love adding fresh berries. We’ve had an unusually cool summer here in the PNW but the upside is that it’s not too hot to turn on the oven and bake up some of my favorite granola. Thank you 1000 times for this recipe.
This recipe is fantastic. I’ve made it several times per the recipe using coconut oil, maple syrup and any kind of dried fruit and nuts I had. Today I took 1c of the oats required and blended those up before mixing all the ingredients together and it made the whole thing so much clumpier which I love! Thanks C&K!
Hi Kate, do you press it in with a spoon before baking, so it would be packed or leave it loose? I baked mine for 20 min, stirring after 10 and it was overbaked and nuts burned a bit, I was wondering if I should make the layer thicker. I will try reducing the time or temperature but want to give it enough heat to crisp and harden.
Thank you!
Hi Natalia! No need to press if it has some slight overlap. The baking and letting it cool completely will get you the crunch. It sounds like you left it in a little long. Was it on the middle rack? Sometimes oven temperatures can vary. Instead of changing the temperature, I would adjust your time slightly and make sure it’s on the middle rack. Let me know how it turns out next time!
So awesome, and easily tweaked to suit your taste!
I had to try this recipe after reading through the comments. It really is the tastiest granola. I eat it as a cereal with almond milk for breakfast or on top of some sauteed apples as a dessert. I’ve made it twice now. My second batch, using raw honey, had more chunks than my first, when I used regular honey. And I left my second batch to cool fairly longer than the first, so maybe that helped with getting more chunks. But the flavor is great even if you don’t get the chunks. Thank you for the great recipe!
This is simply delicious and amazing…I only ever bought granola when on holiday as a treat, but now I can make this, which is far nicer than shop granola, every week!!! Thank you so much – my kids love it too which is a miracle…!! :)
For some reason, the granola stuck to my parchment paper. Any techniques to prevent this? I kept the granola on the pan, wrapped overnight.
I’m sorry to hear that! How long did you bake it for?
For about 20 minutes
Your granola recipe is so good! Thanks for sharing! It only lasted two days! The taste is really much better than any granola you might buy, and you can add any nuts or fruits that you want, and also only add it to part of the recipe if someone in your family does not like some nuts or fruits.Great by itself, on yogourt, on fruit compotes, with milk for breakfast, the sky is the limit here. Great snak too!
Thank you for your rave review! I’m glad it was such a hit, Danielle.
BEST GRANOLA IVE EVER HAD
Hands down the best granola I’ve ever eaten! I made it with almonds, pepitas, honey, and chopped dates. Left out the cinnamon. Will definitely be making this again both for myself and as gifts!
Hi Kate! is it possible to get the measurement in grams/oz? Thanks!
Hi Nicole! Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t provide metric conversions. I just haven’t found the right solution just yet. King Arthur has a great resource.
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I didn’t realize how easy it is to make granola until I followed this recipe a couple times during the lockdown. Today I’m making my 5th granola batch and I can surely say I will never buy granola from the store again! This saves me $$$ and more importantly I know exactly what I put in here. Every time I make it it’s a bit different. Today I used everything possible to make the 3x batch – used date syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, walnuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower + pumpkin seeds, coconut oil + coconut shavings, chocolate and I’m super excited to see how it turns out! Thank you Kate!!!!
Delicious! Exactly what I was looking for.
Soooo delicious! Just made this tonight since we have a ton of oats to use up (thanks to Costco) and we’ve been spending too much money on granola lately. This is better than any of the storebought stuff and I love how customizable it is!! Thanks for the recipe, Kate :)
Love this recipe, it can be used as a rough guide but the amounts you state make it perfect. Sometimes when I am feeling frugal I use less olive oil and maple syrup and it still tastes good.
Hi Kate, this has got to be the best granola recipe out there. My husband and I absolutely love it!
I make it every week to 10 days (at a push) as we have it on our cereal in the morning or sprinkled or shall I say spooned over yogurt as a snack.
I make it pretty much to the recipe, although I may increase the amount sometimes to make more…it is delicious!
Thanks for sharing Kate.
This was exceptional! So easy, so tasty. I added more cinnamon and took your advice with adding the coconut halfway through. Also followed your tip on pressing down to achieve clumps and worked like a charm. I’m never buying store bought granola again.
Looks great! How do you control the moisture of the dried fruit from making the granola soft and more soggy?
Hi Jamie! I’m not sure I understand. Adding it in after it cools, you shouldn’t have an issue. When are you adding the dried fruit? See step 5.
The very best way to make this is with chopped figs & organic raisins added at the end. And honey instead of maple syrup :) the pink Himalayan sea salt really helps too.
I crave this often. It’s so good. I’m trying to stop myself from baking things (portion control is an issue .. whoops!) so I was eating my plain Greek yogurt with granola I picked out from a box of ‘honey Bunches of oats’ cereal. But I picked out every bit of granola in that cereal, there was none left. so I had no choice but to bake this again- Yay,!
Although it’s healthy in the sense it’s all whole foods- it does have a lot of fat, sugar and carbs. Which is not necessarily a bad thing! Just something to keep in mind if you’re like me- pregnant and trying to limit the carbs.
I just made this recipe and I absolutely loved it. Everyone who tasted it also loved it and so I am making it every week!
Its just Perfect
Thank you
Just made this yesterday. It’s my first time making granola. Thanks for an awesome recipe. The fruit I added was raisins, chopped dried apricots and a small amount of chopped candied ginger, which gives a nice extra zing in some bites. I thought I’d ruined it when I was putting it into the oven and discovered that I missed the fact that the fruit goes in after the baking. I was multitasking and had put it all in together. So I baked it at a little lower temp and it turned out fine. I’ll try it the correct way next time.
I’m glad you caught it and were able to adjust to still enjoy it! Thanks for sharing, Kimberlyn.
I did the exact same thing– accidentally added cranberrys before baking. But so glad I did because I don’t like them mushy in granola! I’m about to make my second batch and am adding the fruit before baking.
Delicious! I didn’t get any clumps as I had hoped, even following the directions explicitly. I used maple syrup but will try honey next time to see if that helps. I’m open to other suggestions?!
Overall it was really easy to make and definitely better than store bought! Will definitely be making this for my next house guest!
HI Cindy! I’m sorry to hear that. You let it cool completely? How long did it bake for? It shouldn’t matter maple syrup or honey.
Thanks for your response! I baked it for 23-24 minutes and let it cool completely for 45 minutes. I was looking for a light golden brown color, so maybe I slightly over cooked it? Maybe I’ll try a little less time next time?
That may have been a little too long. You want to make sure you don’t overcook it. Let me know if you try it again!
I tried 21 minutes this time and I got the clumps I had hoped for! Sooo delicious!!! Thank you!
Amazing recipe! Although I suggest making a double batch as this granola didn’t last more than 2 days in my house! (P.S: we were only 2 people eating it lol)
-It was nice and chunky without being crunchy and dry
-The honey really made a difference, I did add a lit more though
-I did add a little it more vanilla extract as my vanilla tasted and smelled amazing, so I believe it really did add some flavor to it all and made it just right for my sweet tooth!
I’m happy it is such a hit! I appreciate you taking the time to review, Hana.
Hi, I made this today and it burned around the edges. What could I have done wrong? I used olive oil and sweetened with honey and a bit of pure maple syrup.
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry to hear that! It sounds like you may have left it in a little too long and/or your oven might run a little hot. Assuming you tossed everything half way?
Hi Kate, thanks for such a quick reply! Based on some other reviews I used half honey and half maple syrup and spread it out thin on two pans. Maybe that was it? Well I’m not giving up because the parts that didn’t over cook were delicious!
Let me know if you try it again!
This granola is amazing. Quick and easy to make and much too easy to eat.
Best granola. My husband and my friends love it.