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.
I have to leave a comment/review for this recipe because I have made it so. many. times. It’s completely addicting, and I can’t believe how easy it is to make, compared to other granola recipes I’ve tried in the past. One note–when you make this for the first time you might think it’s not done enough at 21-23 minutes, but it is! Just take it out and let it set for awhile. It’ll harden right up and if you don’t stir it it’ll definitely be nice and clumpy. I just stuffed my face with the last of last week’s batch, and the next batch is in the oven as I type! Thank you! :)
I made this granola last week. It is soooo delicious, it’s dangerous! before it was even completely cooled down, my husband and I started snacking on it. this definitely belongs in your cookbook. thank you.
I’ve made this recipe twice in two weeks! It’s delicious!! I think you’re absolutely right about the coconut oil giving it the perfect texture.
This is my absolute favorite granola recipe! I’ve made it so many times I can’t remember. Thank you for publishing this recipe.
Love it!
Hi Katie, I’ve made this twice now and it’s really delicious. I realized I had no vanilla essence left the second time, so used almond essence as Plan B. Your recipes are so beautifully presented and thought through. I’m vegetarian but my family who are not all love your meals. Thank you yet again, Catherine
I’ve had trouble making granola before, but made this last night and it turned out beautifully. Thanks Kate!
Hi Kate,
My sister (who is very particular about her diet) first shared some of this granola with me, and now I make it often, too. It is so yummy! Q: When adding pepitas, do you recommend salted or unsalted?
Sharon
I’m so excited to make this granola tonight. I love crunchy and clumpy granola. There has got to be a better adjective for describing this granola.
Ha, thanks Maia! I hope you loved it.
hello, I am going into the kitchen to make this granola RIGHT NOW! thank you for this recipe. btw, my friend has a recipe she uses that calls for a pinch of cayenne pepper, and i think i will add that, too. give cookie a pat for me.
Oh, I love that idea! Hope the granola turned out great for you, Elizabeth. Cookie sends her best. She’s snoozing on the couch next to me now.
I made the granola with the oats, almonds, sunnies and sesame seeds, almond oil, maple syrup, vanilla, large-flaked coconut, cinnamon, and half a teaspoon of sweet Hungarian paprika. It was crunchy and fresh with just a hint of spice. We loved it! Making it again right now!
Your version sounds marvelous! Thanks, Elizabeth!
Thanks for this recipe Kate…mine is in the oven as we speak. Wanted to know if I were to make bars from them for my kids with chocolate chips/cranberries inside what’s a good time to put them in? Also do I need to do something different to make them into bars…more fat or sweetener?
Do you ever use an egg white to get it to clump? If so, what are the directions to do so please.
LLD
Fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing. I made mine with a coconut sugar simple syrup. So good. Thanks again!
Awesome, thanks Julie!
Wow! I’ve tried many granola recipes and this one has yielded the best results for me. Finally got those big clusters I’ve been wanting! I added in some homemade pumpkin spice mix, tis the season after all, just delicious. Thanks for another steller recipe!
Melissa, thank you for letting me know! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe. Pumpkin spice mix sounds like a great addition.
Can’t find nutrients or calorie count anywhere. Looked on my fitness pal. Love the recipe turned out wonderful
Thank you, Marian! I don’t have nutrition facts for my recipes yet, but I’m going to add them soon. It will be quite a project.
Wonderful!
Thanks, Cindy!
The BEST granola ever…second batch this week. Thank you for perfect proportions of ingredients. Yum!
Hooray! Thanks, Lani!
Granola From the Oven
Whenever you’re grumpy and acting a fool,
And being all slow and sleepy with drool,
And running on empty; no thread in your spool,
Exhausted and messy and lacking in cool…
I’ll make you granola.
This is delicious with dried cherries, almonds and almond milk.
I love this. Thank you, ST!
Hi! Is there a simple way that this could be turned into granola bars?
Thank you!
Hey Mar, no, I don’t think so. Here is my go-to granola bar recipe, though!
Thank you! I’ll have to try it!
This granola is fabulous! I LOVE granola but the brand I get is $9 a bag (half the amount that this recipe makes) and this is way more sustainable for my bank account. It is also DELICIOUS! I have tried different variations, I made a pecan chocolate chip one and my favorite is mainly almonds, coconut, a little extra cinnamon, and candied ginger. This recipe is so quick and easy and delicious! Thank you, I’m never going back
Thank you, Hazel! So glad you’re loving this homemade version. Both of your flavor variations sound delicious!
Would you consider this low fat granola? I have all of the ingredients to make this (using pepitas, flax seeds and dried blueberries) and can’t wait to try it… just curious about the fat content.
Hey Jennifer, I’m not sure I would. This ratio produces the best granola, though, so less oil would yield less awesome granola. If you really want low/minimal fat granola, you might enjoy this muesli.
Hi Kate,
I tried your recipe today and it came out very delicious. I modified a little and added saffron and cardamom to it. Can you please tell us the calories and nutrition facts for this recipe? Thank you!
OMG! I’m so glad I found this recipe. I totally love granola and finally decided to make my own. Boy oh boy am I glad I did. This is the best granola! It’s a basic recipe and will definitely will be my go to. I added walnuts and pumpkin seeds in addition to pecans and sunflower seeds. I tried pumpkin and will be experimenting with different flavors in the near future, especially peanut butter. Yum yum. In addition, I’m experimenting with different coconut oil and maple syrup brands.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Made this 3 times and doubled the recipe. Love it .
Oh my gosh just made this and it was insanely satisfying!
I love home much flexibility you gave in the recipe – I got creative and put chocolate nibs, coconut flakes, flax seeds, chia, hazelnuts, almonds, dates and cranberries and it turned out incredibly delicious!
Thanks so much Katie! xx
I made this granola using maple syrup (to keep it vegan) and a combination of pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, ground flax seed, and coconut. It was amazing! I served it over a fruit puree (acai, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, pomegranate, banana) with sliced bananas and kiwi on top. Amazing! I made a second batch today, because the first batch is already gone. P.S. Baking this granola makes your whole house smell good!
Hi Kate,
I don’t know if you’ll see this comment but I had to tell you how amazing this granola is. I had a whole bag of rolled oats and I didn’t know what to do with it. I decided to attempt to make my own granola to have a snack that would last a while and that I could take to work. The only granola I ever had before was store bought and I never actually liked it. I always thought granola was plain and just not my thing. However, with an entire bag of rolled oats at home, I decided to give it a try. Plus I really enjoy making my own things instead of buying. I saw your recipe and really liked how you broke everything down and gave lots of tips and options. I made the granola using oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and olive oil. After it baked I topped it with chopped dried apricots and dried cranberries. I can not stop eating it. This is the best granola I have ever had and so incredibly easy to make. I honestly never knew granola could be this good. It is the most PERFECT balance of sweet and savory. I love it!! and I’ve been raving about it to my boyfriend for 3 days so I decided to comment. :) Thank you so much!!! I will never ever buy store bought granola again.
You are amazing, I have not been able to make granola to my liking but this is it. The flavor is outstanding. I added sesame and flax seeds to the pumpkin seeds. Can’t wait to try your kale pizza.
Wow! Finally made my first homemade granola! And the whole house smells amazing!!!
Did alter it a bit though, used pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon only and added a little orange zest.
But it’s truly easy and amazing. We’ll be making this more for sure. Thank you Kate
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one!
Just a suggestion on the clumping, in the past when I’ve made granola, instead of just spreading it in the pan, I pick it up with my hands and squeeze it and drop it in clumps. It works wonderfully!
This was perfect. Will be making bi-weekly for our daily breakfast. So delicious and much healthier than cereal :) Thanks!
Hi Kate,
Your recipes look amazing! Would buckwheat groats work in your recipes instead of oats? As its seemingly impossible to find gluten-free oats where I live :(
Hello Kate!
I am writing this as my version of your recipe cools. The nibble was delish! I used more nuts and seeds, a variety of fruit, but less honey and oil (1/3C of each) and since I’m an oil and vinegar freak I used about 2T blood orange olive oil. I love cooking and use recipes a guideline. Your’s was a terrific find! I’ll check back for more ideas. Thanks
Hi! :) the first thing that got me smiling were the words – dog lover – on your blog; and the second is this super duper delicious granola recipe. I tried it out this evening and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am with the results :) I altered the recipe slightly based on the ingredients I had at home, but essentially the basics stay the same. It’s perfect crunchy and delicious! Thank you :)
Wow! thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. I made a batch with coconut oil, real maple syrup, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and slivered almonds. I did not add dried fruit because of the high sugar content , but I did add unsweetened coconut flakes. I love to eat granola on Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for breakfast. I will make this often. Also, my husband said this is the best granola he’s ever eaten! And we’re old (46) ;-)
I made this with a friend last night. She made her recipe and I made this one. Delicious! We added coconut, cranberries and apricots to both. Yours is the winner!
There’s a delicious cafe in San Francisco called The Mill and they make some of the best granola I’ve ever had (for a price, of course). Until today! This recipe is totally perfect and easy.
hi thanks for the recipe! i was wondering if you make 6 servings instead of 12 do I have to cut down the baking time?
Since this recipe produced scrumptious granola for me, you can be sure it’s fool-proof, lol. Thanks for it!
Okay, I just made this granola, and I can’t wait for cooling or clumping or anything else. The house smells like pancakes and syrup and sweet vanilla. Must eat NOW!!! I used coarsely chopped almonds, with raisins as my dried fruit. Ate it slightly warm, with yogurt and banana slices. So easy. So delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
If I were to substitute part water for some of the oil house would that affect the granola? Thank you!
It won’t turn out as crisp or tasty without the full amount of oil. I would suggest just cutting back on the oil rather than adding water.
I’ve made this several times varying the nuts and with honey or maple syrup. It is now a staple. Thank you.
Happy to hear it, Cindy!
Hi Cookie (so cute) and Kate, as a keen cook, veggie patcher, very recently qualified nutritionist and cat lover (sorry, love dogs (all animals) too I promise) have never found time to make granola but your recipe looked delicious, simple and wholesome. Its toasting in my Sydney oven and I wanted to let you know that I’m excited to taste in the morning with my freshly made cherry compote, full fat Greek yogurt and shredded mint leaves. Well done and big thank you for taking the time to share your recipes and stunning photos.
Thanks so much, Bonita! Let me know how it turns out. & Cookie says hi :)
It was a bit to salty for my taste, I used sea salt as in the recipe
Hey, Susann – sorry to hear that! I hope you give it another shot, and simply adjust the amount of salt to your preference. Let me know how it works out!
Hi Kate,
Thank you for this great recipe! My 10 year-old found it a lot better than the store-bought versions!
I was wondering if using half the amount of honey would still work? It was delicious and so crunchy, only slightly too sweet for me.
Will make again for sure :)
Thanks, Francoise! I’m glad you enjoyed it. You could use less honey, but the granola probably won’t be quite as crunchy.
Yum!! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kira!
This is the most delicious granola I have ever eaten!! And I am picky! This was so quick and easy, as well. I am now addicted!! It is so yummy with the some vanilla bean’ yoghurt. Thank you :) XX
YES I love hearing when picky eaters approve! So happy you enjoy it, Brid.
First time I have made home made Granola and I love love love this recipe… such whole and healthy ingredients. Used a sprouted super seed and ancient grain blend as my seeds. My very picky daughter gobbles it up and asked me to make it again.
xoxo
Picky-kid approved is a badge I wear with honor. Thanks so much, Audrey!
I will never buy prepared cereal again. I made this granola for friends and family at Christmas and everyone changed their breakfast and grocery habits after the first taste. I love hearing about Cookie. Having a dog in the house cuts kitchen floor cleaning by 90%. Our pointer cross Annie does an hourly inspection whether we are cooking or not, always the optimist. Your instructions are fantastic without the click-bait annoyances showing up everywhere else. I look forward to trying other recipes.
Thank you so much for your note, Terry! Delighted to hear that you all are enjoying the granola so much. I had to board Cookie before Christmas Eve and spent the night by myself (sad day) but I realized then how dirty the floors get without her!
Thanks SO much Kate! This turned out so great…my first granola ;) No clumps…but sooooooooo good!!!
Yes! Success on the first try! So happy to hear that, Candace.
WOW, this stuff is amazing! Perfectly easy recipe that hasn’t failed me yet. Every batch is always gone within a day or two. Tonight, I wanted a bit of a treat for the weekend and added cocoa and peanut butter in with the liquids before mixing it all up. It turned out great! Great base recipe for whatever kind of granola you’re hankering after. Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it a bit decadent with the cocoa and peanut butter :)