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 granola is fantastic! I have honey bees so used my own honey and really enjoyed in my Greek yogurt. YUM
Love your cookbook given to me by my son.
This granola is so delicious and is a useful way to use ingredients lying in the pantry. Love the clumps, was perfectly toasted and perfectly flavoured. I used a mixture of raisens and dried apricots aswell as almonds and pepitas. Delicious! will be making again
Wow. I made this mainly for your apple parfaits since we are not usually eating much granola. So I was kind of wondering how much I should freeze etc. Never mind I never got to freeze it and it is all gone now. I guess we do eat granola after all. Lol. So good! I used almonds and pecans, and coconut oil. I’ll make another batch today and add some shredded coconut as well.
Let’s start with the fact that I cannot cook. I make scrambled eggs and toast.
I wanted granola but the store bought kind is full of sugar and crazy expensive.
So I tried your recipe.
Thank you, thank you thank you.
I will come paint your house.
This is the best tasting and healthiest granola I’ve ever had, and I’m kinda old so I’ve tried a kajillion granolas.
I used dates and a silpat.
You have developed a great recipe!!
Loved this granola recipe. Delicious. Thanks so much.
With so many great reviews, I was excited to try this recipe. Followed it exactly, using pecans and pistachios and a half/half mixture of pure maple syrup and honey. Used 1 tsp Morton fine sea salt. Was so disappointed in the end product. Way too salty and almost no sweetness. Cash in the trash :((
Hi Ellie, I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed. Thank you for your feedback.
I agree, made it exactly to spec and it was absurdly salty. I add about 1/3 the salt now and it turns out great.
I love, love, love this recipe. I have made it countless times. I just made a plain batch and gave my grandchildren the batch and all the add-ins (fruits, roasted nuts) to add as they wished and according to their individual preferences. The kits were a big hit. “Really good” I heard. If you do this, baking time should be a bit shorter for the plain batch. I also sprinkle some of the granola on my greens, fruit and feta lunch salad–delicious.
This is the BEST granola I’ve ever eaten! And so easy! I did add some sunflower seeds along w the pumpkin seeds bc I didn’t have enough pumpkin seeds. Thank you!
I love this recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
Any tips on how to incorporate peanut butter into this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Emilie, I haven’t tried it other than topping my granola at the end with it. You could see what others may have tried by searching the comments. Sorry to not be of more help!
Great recipe. I’ve made this in two batches. One with coconut oil and the other with rapeseed oil. Both produce the same results. Altough rapeseed oil produces a completely neutral flavour.
You can also “remove moist/dehydrate” your granola to make it more brittle and crunchy. Similar to how you do with some types of cookies. Simply put the granola on a shallow tray in the oven for an hour or two at 125F/50C. Mix every 20 to 30 minutes.
This is a really good and flexible granola recipe. It’s a good base that allows you to make it to your own tasting, and it bakes to a nice firmness, but even that is flexible if you don’t like a lot of crunch. I agree that the salt is a must for granola!
I loove this, I am going to make my first granola tomorrow. Im so blessed to have come across this.
This is an incredible granola! Mine did turn out less crunchy and more soft, why do you think that could be? But overall, the flavor was wonderful and I think I’ll enjoy it with hot or cold milk tomorrow morning. Thank you!
Hi! How long did you cook it for? Did you let it cool completely?
Great recipe, thanks so much for sharing.
Can the granola be stored in the fridge instead of freezer?
Hi! Yes, this can be frozen. See step 6 for my recommendation.
This granola is the BEST granola I have ever had!!! I just had a baby and it is the perfect snack anytime, but especially in the middle of night. I have also made this for all of my friends and they all ask for the recipe! Everyone LOVES it!!!! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe with all of us!
Congratulations on the new baby! How exciting. I’m happy you love this recipe, Veronica. Thank you for sharing.
This looks so amazing! I’m not able to chew the nuts though. Would it still hold together if I ground the nuts fine enough so I can eat them and mix it in?
Hi Tommy! It may not clump together as well, but the result should still be delicious. Watch the timing though as the nuts could get more toasty the smaller they are.
Made this for the first time yesterday and LOVE it! Thank you for the recipe. I added some millet, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dates. I made it with maple syrup and will probably add a little more to make it a little clumpier. Definitely a keeper!
Not only was it perfectly delicious, my whole house (even bedroom) smells delicious even after one day! I never ever liked granola before, store bought ones usually so hard like eating rocks… I was so impressed with your recipe, it was so crispy and easy to chew. Tasted amazing. I don’t normally add so much salt to anything I cooked but I agree with you that the salt is necessary to make it tasty. I baked mine with 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup macadamia, 1/4 cup chia seed, 1/4 cup puffed brown rice and puffed quinoa… honey and maple mix, and for dried fruits I added dried mulberries. Thanks for the delish recipe. My little daughter kept begging for more.
Thanks for sharing, CT! Excited to hear your variation was a hit with your family.
This my go to recipe for granola, so delicious, quick and easy. Love it!
The best granola ever!!!!! No variations needed. It’s perfect.
I absolutely love this recipe. I use gluten free jumbo oats, as I’m coeliac and use chai spice instead of cinammon. Delicious with blueberries and yoghurt. I haven’t bought granola for about 8 months!
I have been making this all through the lockdown and I sure am loving it! Thanks for sharing
We made this for my daughter with lots of food sensitivities, and we were able to pick ad-ins, seeds, etc she was able to have. She said this is the best granola she ever tasted. Thank you!
This has become my favourite granola recipe and i make it every week.. it’s perfect!
I love this stuff! I’ve made it several times and my whole family loves it – half a batch only lasts a few days. I used to buy granola but its a lot healthier (and very easy) to make myself. I usually make mine with almonds, pepitas, maple syrup and olive oil.
I am now making this for the second time. It is so easy ! I add hempseed’s and chai seeds also. It is so nutritious and lovely sprinkled over plain yogurt! Thank you
Read somewhere that if you like clumps of granola, add an egg white, which I will do when I make this on the weekend.
I just made it tonight cause I saw your post on instagram. My my! It was devine, my husband and I was trying it while having dinner. He said he can’t wait for breakfast! I made it with hazelnut cause I don’t have pecans. Added some goji berries and dried apricot! Yum!!!!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! We love it so much. We’re a gluten free family and it’s hard to find easy and healthy recipes that everyone will enjoy. This has become a staple in our house. We’re getting ready to go camping for a couple of days and I just made a new batch to take with us :) thank you for sharing your talent!
Love this recipe…I’ve made it a few different times using different ingredients. I also add Chia seeds. It’s in the oven now with 3 different nuts!
Oh my gosh love this!!! It was easy and delicious…even for a non-cooker!! Lol
This is by far the most delicious granola I have ever tasted. The recipe was very easy to follow. I had never baked with coconut oil before this recipe. It was so simple! I plan to try different mix-ins with my next batch–dried cherries, coconut, chocolate chips. Your tips for when to add the fresh ingredients greatly help. After finding your recipe for ratatouille last week and devouring it with my family. I got your cookbook from the library. I have tagged many recipes that I plan to make. I appreciate your guidance in writing the recipes. I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years and love fresh whole foods that make me feel good. Your book and website of recipes have been a gift to me. Thank you!
Just tried this out and it turned out amazing! I halved the sugar (I used maple syrup) but it was still a tad sweet so I’ll probably halve it again next time. It was also a little too salty for me so I’ll decrease that next time – but I loved how well it stuck and clumped up together! I added some cocoa powder & coffee powder to make a chocolate coffee version and it turned out amazing! I added some chocolate chips in once it cooled too. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Hi. I’ve made this twice so far and the granola tastes great. On the second batch. I used honey instead of syrup which definitely made it chunky the way my family like it but it became chewy rather than crunchy so wondering if there is a tip to make it chunky and crunchy. I left overnight and it still didn’t dry out like I would have thought. Thanks
Hi Carolyn! I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t perfect for you. Did you leave it set the full rest period?
I am not a foodie, and am a bit of a picky eater, but Kate is absolutely correct – THIS IS THE BEST GRANOLA EVER!!! This has become a staple at our house, and I make a 1.5 recipe batch just about every week. Thank you, Kate for this delicious recipe.
This is my all time favorite granola recipe. I use 1 cup of almonds, and 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds. I add half the almonds raw at the beginning, to candy them, and half pre-roasted almonds at the end to please my husband. I add half the coconut part way through to toast it, and half afterwards. I use half coconut oil and half olive oil. Love it,
I use this recipe as my standard breakfast because it’s the best I’ve found! Thank you! Any suggestions for what to do if you accidentally burn a batch? Can it be used for anything? It’s not totally burnt just a bit too crunchy and brown! (Oops!)
Oh no! Burnt granola is disappointing. Maybe mix in with another batch or just eat it with more milk/yogurt until you can make another batch :)
Thank you so much for this recipe – I make it every week!
Wonderful as a breakfast and also a snack! Absolutely perfect!
This is excellent! I used ginger, I normally never, ever, have cinnamon in the house. So good!
Just made this for the second time. It’s yummy!
I was so hesitant to try this because the 2 times I made granola before ended up like sprinkles. THIS gave me munch clumps! I made it exactly as your recipe is written, no nuts for our Grandson (try finding a granola without nuts!), raisins, mini chocolate chips, all honey, melted coconut oil, cinnamon and it’s absolutely perfect! After I turned off the oven I left the door open for about an hour for them to cool slowly, then on the counter to cool. I’ll be experimenting with additions, dried blueberries, cranberries…thank you! Oh…perhaps using real maple syrup may work, but if someone uses the fake stuff, the results may not be clumpy. ie…fake syrup may have added water..?
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy it turned out perfectly for you, Linda.
Spectacular!
I have made this granola several times and it keeps getting better each time. Planning to make it for Christmas gifts. It’s the bomb
I have made this a few times. It is great and easy to make. Much better than anything you buy in the store!!! I skip the dried ftuit as I am not partial to it. I use honey but cut it back a bit as I want to cut my sugar. The coconut oil has a slightly sweet effect so cutting back on the honey has no negative impact!
Wow! This recipe makes the best granola! Everyone around me loves it and I love how easy and versatile it is. No more store bought granola for me! Thank you Kate for sharing your wonderful recipes with the world.
Best Granola Recipe. Due to my daughters allergy I made this oat free too by replacing the 4 cups of oats to 2 cups of quinoa flakes and 2 cups of buckwheat puffs and it was amazing. Couldn’t stop snacking on it!
Glad it all worked well, Natalie!
This is my second batch! I use it as cereal with almond milk sometimes. Very good recipe! Mahalo for sharing! Not sure how to add a pix here..but your granola is very tasty!
I am in a constant cycle of making this granola. So quick, easy and delicious! I love how variable it is regarding ingredients as well.
I absolutely love this granola!! I use olive oil and honey, and press it down when it first goes in the oven and halfway and I get SUPER chunky granola each time :).
Thank you for your review, Iris! I’m happy you loved it.