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.
Can I use butter?
I haven’t used butter with this recipe. Sorry I’m not sure without trying it. I know other recipes have used butter for granola, but this one was designed with oil.
This granola is the best! I have made your recipe more than a dozen times and have no need to search for a different recipe. I always make a double batch and share it with loved ones. It is easily customizable, although I usually stick to the original. It is simply…the BEST. Even the picky-eater grandkids love it. I highly recommend you try this recipe!!
Best recipe ever. I’ve already made it three times in 2 weeks, and shared some. One with coconut, bananas, pineapple, almonds and papaya. One with dates, apples almonds, walnuts, pecans and raisins. And just a plain one with candied nuts which was awesome too. I use the coconut oil and maple syrup. Thank you for this recipe it is my new favorite.
Thank you for sharing, Nicole!
I discovered this recipe last week. I made a batch on Monday and it was gone by Friday. I made some more yesterday and it’s almost half gone because my daughters and I cannot stop eating it. It’s so good! The only change I made was increasing the nuts to 2 cups (because I wanted 1 cup each of pecans and walnuts), and thus I also added an extra dash of oil and syrup just to ensure that it was moist enough. It’s simply delicious. I am addicted.
I’m glad it’s such a hit, Grace! Thank you for your review.
Best recipe for granola. I adjust down the honey / syrup slightly as l add more fruit for personal taste. Thank you.
I made this granola twice and it turned out great. I used cranberries and walnuts with pumpkin seeds. Shared with neighbors and everyone enjoyed it. It is delicious and it will be my go-to granola recipe for sure. Thank you
One of the best granola recipes I’ve tried. Easy to make and delicious! Makes a great snack to just grab a handful.
A great snack, I agree Martha!
YUMMY! Thank you for making my mornings brighter with this delicious granola! I used coconut oil, peanuts and pecans, chocolate chips and cranberries and it turned out fantastic.
You’re welcome, Amy!
Just made my first batch and it’s perfect. Used sliced almonds and a few raisins. I typically modify online recipes here and there, but this one needs no tweaking. Thanks so much for sharing!
You’re welcome, Catherine!
My husband is obsessed!! Loves this recipe!! Any ideas on how to add peanut or almond butter?
You could add it after baking, Becky. :)
Easy and tasty. I will reduce honey once I get the hang of changing out the portions of dried fruit. So good, my family loves it, especially my teenage son.
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate your review.
21 minutes at 350 was too long – I came back when the timer went off and everything was burnt to a black crisp! Is it because I used honey not maple syrup? What a waste of food :(
Hi Tee, I’m sorry to hear that! Did you toss it half way? What amount and type of oil did you use? Sometimes ovens can vary with temperature (some being hotter than others) and rack placement is also a factor.
I just made this and mine burnt too even at 10 min it was burnt on edges, so upset and I don’t have all ingredients to make it again.
If I didn’t check in on them, then mines would have definitely burnt at 45 min. Even with tossing, they didn’t need 45 min. I’ve followed other recipes and they 20-22 min were actually good. Depending on your oven, I would make sure to keep an eye on them. But this recipe is good… I didn’t add fruits though because when I tried before since I didn’t leave them long enough they didn’t dry till the end
Thanks for a really great recipe I made little granola jars to hand out at Christmas time with orange zest!
Thanks for coming back to review, Binti!
The granola recipe is really good . Starting my 3 rd batch now . Great recipe and easy to make .
This is such a lovely recipe. Flavorful and crunchy, just love it! I made one batch last week and now I am making a second one! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Oh I love this resipe! Made it today and it’s perfect
great recipe. I swapped the coconut oil with canola oil (~80% canola ~20% coconut) and that made it much nicer and crunchy (and kept the flavor and smell of the coconut. As a rule of thumb, the proportions should be 4.5 cups of dry materials (oat, nuts…), 0.25 cup of oil and 0,25 cup of honey/maple.
Hi there!….. I’ve just made this granola….what a complete success!….I’m so pleased with it….many thank you’s, it is delicious …..I followed all your instructions….I used olive oil, honey, walnuts, Brazil, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds & a sprinkle of chia seeds…..for the fruit I used a mix of raisins & cranberries….I will definitely be making it again…..highly recommend ….yummy!…
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know what you thought.
This granola is absolutely awesome! I take this to work w me, I am a carpenter, and the guys love it. I stick to your recipe. That you so much for a simple and nutritious snack
I’m glad you love it, Jake! Thank you for your review.
Made this for the first time today with some variations to try to mimic the Kind Peanut Butter granola that I love. I opted to cut the recipe in half (since it was my first time making it). I only did 1.5 cups of oats, and 1/2 cup of popped amaranth, and 1 cup of popped millet. Then I only used 1/2 cup of peanuts, and 1/4 cup of chunky peanut butter. Every other ingredient was then cut in half, but this turned out quite tasty! So easy, I can’t believe that I’ve never made granola before. I love that I can control the amount of sugar in the granola the next time I make it.
Thank you for sharing your variation, Amina!
Thank you for this recipe! It was my first time making granola and it was so simple to follow. I don’t like dried fruit so didn’t add any but still tasted great.
Been making this recipe weekly for the past month. Perfection. Ran out of rolled oats. Can I substitute with the generic Quaker Oats????
Hi Sinclair! Are they quick cooking or still flat rolled oats?
Not quick cooking. Ingredients say “Whole grain rolled oats”
I love this granola recipe, I make a half batch around every 10 days to enjoy over kefir for breakfast. Great way to use local honey! I also add raw quinoa as part of the “nuts and seeds” portion of the recipe for extra crunch and fiber.
Thanks for sharing, Kristin!
I make a full batch and freeze half. I store the half we are currently eating on the counter in a large mason jar.
Oh My Goodness! We are watching our cholesterol and eating more fiber. I searched for granola recipes to make a trail mix/granola snack using mini shredded wheat. I replaced the oatmeal with 5 cups of mini shredded wheat and followed the recipe with suggested substitutes. I used olive oil and pecans and raisins and honey. I was going to add chocolate chips but we couldn’t wait for it to even cool down. And there’s no need for chocolate at this point. This reminds me of the candied pecans you get at the ball games.❤️❤️❤️ Thank you.
I’m glad this was able to work for you and you loved it, Diana!
I make this recipe regularly. I often fill mason jars with it and hand it out to my adult children and friends! It is always delicious and happily accepted. We love it on yogurt and I even put it on my cooked oatmeal. I prefer to use real maple syrup over the honey because mine got a little too sticky with the honey. Regardless, this is the best recipe!Thanks!
Can you use avocado oil instead of olive oil or coconut oil?
You could try it!
Can you use sesame oil?
You could try to drizzle some, but I wouldn’t use it in replace of the olive oil or coconut oil.
I’ve made granola in the past, but it was never this easy or delicious. Last weekend, I made an orange/almond/cranberry/coconut oil, and I’m going to try a more savory combo today.
We have bees, and our honey makes it that much better.
Thanks!
It came out very good!
Haven’t taste it with yoghurt, but so far, so good :-)
Although I used less then 1 tsp of salt, it’s still too salty for my taste…
Delicious granola and so easy to make! I used pecans, pepitas, and dried cranberries.
I made this recipe yesterday. It’s really good. It is a little chewy. I think I will experiment to get it crispier – maybe a touch less honey but more fat. Maybe cooking in a thinner layer.
Oh, I did add some flax seeds. They’re really good in it.
Thanks!
Love this so much! I don’t add the extra salt because the pepita’s at Aldi are already salted. Dried cherries are my favorite stir-in. I love the variations you’ve recommended to. So fun to have a recipe that invites variety!
Thanks for sharing!
This turned out quick, easy and delicious! I made it with spicy petitas, chocolate chips and raisins because that’s what I have. I don’t like baked walnuts because they come out too greasy and with mayonnaise taste to me.
You were sooo right easy and good loved it❤️
Dear Cookie & Kate, I love the granola, it’s a life saver as I’m on an elimination diet and I can eat everything that’s in the granola. I used gluten free rolled oats with sliced almonds, pepitas, sunflowers seeds, unsweetened coconut & dried cranberries. Delicious!!!
I love how versatile this is. My husband likes peanuts and almonds with dried mango, raisins and dates. I also add a 1/4 cup of shredded coconut half way through baking. I prefer pecans, walnuts and sunflower seeds with dried cherries, dried cranberries and dates. I also sprinkle a cinnamon and sugar mix over the top when it comes out of the oven. You can pretty much use any combo of nuts and fruits and get a delicious result. Great recipe!!!
Taste great just wish it ended up clumpy. I think I may have used too big of a pan.
Just finished putting the ingredients together and placed them in the oven. I’ll add the coconut 1/2 way. I love healthy granola and can’t wait to taste it!
This turned out so great! I’ve had all the ingredients waiting in my pantry since a while but I was hesitant about actually attempting this. But it was so easy. I added a few spoons on chia and flax seeds to the mix and used dried figs, cranberries, walnuts and slivered almonds. Can’t wait to do a second batch and play around with the flavours a bit!
THANK YOU!
Oh my goodness! Love, love, love your recipe. I made granola many years ago, but because it didn’t turn out so great and strangely I never tried again. Your recipe called out to me and you’re so right, I will never buy store bought again. I didn’t add nuts or fruit, so increased my oats to 5 cups, added a couple tablespoons of ghee to the olive oil, mixture of maple syrup and honey, fresh grated nutmeg, with extra cinnamon sprinkled on top. Oh so delish. With a sharp knife they sliced into bars rather nicely. Thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe. Did I say thank you…lol
Kaye
Oh my goodness! Love, love, love your recipe. I made granola many years ago, but because it didn’t turn out so great and strangely I never tried again. Your recipe called out to me and you’re so right, I will never buy store bought again. I didn’t add nuts or fruit, so increased my oats to 5 cups, added a couple tablespoons of ghee to the olive oil, mixture of maple syrup and honey, fresh grated nutmeg, with extra cinnamon sprinkled on top. Oh so delish. With a sharp knife they sliced into bars rather nicely. Thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe. Did I say thank you…lol
Kaye
Kaye, thank you so much for letting me know! Your granola sounds fantastic. :)
The recipes are healthy and delicious.Good job! Thank God for allowing you to benefit the whole world with your knowledge.Remain blessed.
#cookieandkate
I made mine with 1/4 cup each honey and sorghum. Love it!
Thank you
I have made your go to recipe several times and it is delish. Thanks for all the yummy ones to try…
This granola is absolutely the best! My son shared your recipe and I can’t get enough of it. I didn’t add the dried fruit this time, but I will definitely try that next time. Thank you so much!
I keep coming back and making this recipe. It’s my favorite!! I make a batch and store it in separate containers. I keep one in handy for breakfast and store the rest in the freezer for extra freshness. Onece I finish a container I just pop the next one out of the fridge, let it thaw and consume with milk, milk alternatives or as toppings for bowls. It’s so good I have even given it as a gift!
This was such a tasty and easy recipe! I subbed brown rice syrup since it’s what I had on hand and baked it for a few minutes longer, resulting in perfect crunchy granola! Goodbye overpriced market granola. Thank you, Kate!! I’m new to your site but I’ll definitely be sticking around.
Just making this now and my kitchen smells wonderful. I snuck a taste and it’s not very sweet but I used a little less that 1/2 cup of honey.
I did add coconut because I had sweetened coconut that I needed to use up so I did use that and it was good.
Next time I think I will add pecans.
After25 minutes the granola was still a little pale and not golden brown. So I eft in to get the color & texture I wanted.
Waiting for it to cool so I can add either cherries, raisins, or cranberries.
Thanks for posting this.
Delicious! We make a batch every week!
Made it today, and there is definitely no need to look for another recipe. This is EXCELLENT. Thank you for sharing this wonderful granola recipe!
My husband told me that this is the best thing I’ve ever made – and I agree! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Excellent recipe for healthy granola. I make this every week for myself and my husband.